GIFT OF PL. 1 U. S . FLAG S . 1872 U.S. PENNANT Wern.br Com IcfrRfsels oftfie WSSbetotrthe aHtLuistftc bom aftfwu" toots . REVENUE U- S. REVENUE NATIONAL ENSIGN JULY J1871. no is ted at tJte3atn.of ships war aiuL in- the bows of boob when the President of 'tht UiS. is oti/ u. s. REVENUE FLAG . Worn by Revenue^ (biters and, OIL all- builduicf wider Hie control of the, U. S. treasury .Department. U.S. REVENUE JACK UNION JACK 'r^a^ the iowsprltcf U.S. Worn, at tiie main wJizn tiie> Secr? oftJt&Jfayy is 011* toaj'dsd U.S. resseL ofwcu; cut(Lin> the. bows af his toot* Worn ressets of war. BUT FORD'S LI1H. BOSTON. OUR FLAG. ORIGIN AND PROGRESS WITH AN INTRODUCTORY ACCOUNT SYMBOLS, STANDARDS, BANNERS AND FLAGS OF ANCIENT AND MODERN NATIONS, GEO. HENRY PREBLE, U. S. " When the standard of the Union is raised and waves over my head the stand- ard which Washington planted on the ramparts of the Constitution, God forbid that I should enquire whom the people have commissioned to unfurl it, and bear it up ; I only ask in what manner, as an humble individual, I can best discharge my duty in defending it." DANIEL WEBSTER. " There is but one other emblem so significant as a flag, viz : the cross." ALBANY: JOEL M U N S E L L . 1872. c f-7 Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1872, By Geo. H. PREBLE, In the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. "Sot t* tto Wvtofl, tout t0 ito to*&" THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THB MEMORY OF THOSE GALLANT SPIRITS WHO, BY LAND OR SEA HAVE FOUGHT AND CONQUERED, OR fallen in faeftnte OF THB BANNER IT COMMEMORATES. " This is a maxim which I have received by hereditary tradition, not only from my father, but also from my grandfather and his ancestors, that after what I owe to God, nothing should be more dear or sacred than the love and respect I owe to my country." DeTHOU. " Land of my birth ! thy glorious stars Float over shore and sea, Made sacred by a thousand scars They were not born to flee j Oh may that flag forever wave Where dwell the patriot and the brave Till all the earth be free : Yet still the shrine be here as now Where freeman, pilgrim like, shall bow.'* " There is the national flag ! He must be cold, indeed, who can look upon its folds rippling in the breeze without pride of country. If he be in a foreign land the flag is companionship, and country itself with all its endearments. Who as he sees it can think of a state merely ? Whose eye once fastened upon its radiant trophies can fail to recognize the image of the whole nation ? It has been called * a floating piece of poetry 5' and yet I know not if it have any intrinsic beauty beyond other ensigns. Its highest beauty is in what it symbolizes. It is because it represents all that all gaze at it with delight and reverence. It is a piece of bunting lifted in the air j but it speaks sublimely and every part has a voice. Its stripes of alternate red and white proclaim the original union of thirteen states to maintain the declaration of independence. Its stars, white on a field of blue, proclaim that union of states constitut- ing our national constellation which receives a new star with every new state. The two together signify union, past and present. The very colors have a language which was officially recognized by our fathers. White is for purity ; red for valor ; blue, for justice j and all together, bunting, stripes, stars and colors, blazing in the sky, make the flag of our country, to be cherished by all our hearts, to be upheld by all our hands." CHARLES SUMNER. PREFACE. Proudhon the French socialist had a peculiar man- ner of proceeding in the composition of a work which is thus stated. " When an idea struck him, he would write it out at length, generally in the shape of a newspaper arti- cle ; then he would put it in an envelope and whenever a new idea occurred to him, or he obtained additional information, he would write it on a piece of paper, and add it to the envelope. When a sufficient quan- tity of material was assembled he would write an article for some review or magazine. This article he would place in a larger envelope, and add thoughts and in- formation until, at last, the article became a book ; and the day after the publication of his book, he would place it in a pasteboard box, and add thoughts and additional information as he came into possession of them." Very much in the same way have these memoirs grown to the size of this volume. More than twenty years since their compiler became interested in tracing out the first display of Our Starry Flag on foreign seas, and the notes he then gathered resulted in the preparation of an article entitled " The First Appear- ance of the Flag of the Free," which was published in VI PREFACE. the Portland Daily Advertiser, and thence exten- sively copied into other journals. Around that article from time to time became concreted numerous addi- tional facts which were embodied in another and longer newspaper article on the same topic. His interest in the subject grew with the increase of knowledge. New facts were accumulated and sought for wherever to be obtained. The war of the rebellion added a fresh impulse to his inquiries, and new and interesting inci- dents. The result is the present volume of memoirs which, if not rendered interesting by the graces of a practised authorship, can claim to be a faithful record of facts. Following the idea of Proudhon, the writer would say, he will be glad to receive from his readers any added facts and incidents, or corrections that will ena- ble him to complete his memorial of our grand old flag, and help to perpetuate it as the chosen emblem of Liberty and Union. Collected as these memoirs were chiefly for his own amusement and instruction, in committing them to the public, the compiler hopes they may in- terest and amuse others as much as the collecting them has himself. If they serve to revive and pre- serve in the smallest degree, a patriotic sentiment for our starry banner, his ambition will be accomplished, his end attained. Among the many books examined, and to which due credit should be given for many facts, have been the volumes of the Historical Magazine, ist and 2d series, 18 vols. ; the Massachusetts Hist. Coll.; Sparks's Life and Writings of Washington and Franklin; the N. E. PREFACE. Vii Hist, and Gen. Register, 25 vols ; the Life and Works of John Adams; Hamilton's and Sarmiento's Historiesof the Flag; Savage's Lectures, 1853; the Gentleman s Magazine, 150 vols; the London Magazine; the Ame- rican Archives ; Cooper's Hist. U. S. Navy; Clark's Hist. U. S. Navy ; Boynton's Hist. U. S. Navy ; U. S. Naval Chronicle ; the Naval Monument ; the Naval Temple ; Botta's Am. Revolution ; Life of Elbridge Gerry ; Smith's Hist. Newburyport ; the U. S. Statutes ; Froth- ingham's Siege of Boston and Life of Warren ; the Penny Cyclopedia; the American Cyclopedia; Kitto's Bible Cy- clopedia ; the London News, and Brewster's and Cham- bers' s Encyclopedias; the Encyclopedia Americana and Eritannica; Benton's Debates; the Army and Navy Regulations ; Bancroft's Hist, of the U. S. ; the Army and Navy Chronicle, 1835 to 1841 ; London Notes and Queries, 40 vols; the United Service Magazine, 90 vols. ; the British Naval Chronicle, 40 vols. ; Army and Navy Journal, 9 vols. ; United States Ser. Magazine, 5 vols. ; Chambers's Book of Days ; Fairholt's Diet, of Terms of Art; Various books of Heraldry,etc. ; James's, En- tick's, Lediard's, Burchet's Naval Histories; Sir Nicolas Harris's Hist. Royal Navy, i vols ; Brunei's Regal A rmorie ; Westcott's History of Philadelphia, etc., etc., etc. More than a thousand volumes have been examined in the preparation of these memoirs, and an extensive correspondence has been a necessity. I may, therefore, say to my readers as Montesquieu remarked to a friend concerning a particular part of his writings : c< You will read it in a few hours, but I assure you it has cost me so much labor that it has whitened my hair." viii PREFACE. I would express my obligations to Messrs. John A. McAllister, Wm. J. Canby, Wm. D. Gemmill, and Chas. J. Lukens of Philadelphia, and Messrs. B. J. Lossing and Chas. J. Bushnell of New York, for valuable suggestions and facts, and particularly to Mr. John A. McAllister, who has been unwearied in search- ing for and completing evidences of facts which were otherwise beyond my reach. There are other friends too numerous to mention, who have given me their assistance, who will please accept my silent acknowledg- ments. In 1864 the manuscript of this book, in its then incomplete state, was forwarded from abroad to the ma- nagers of the National Sailors' Fair at Boston, as a con- tribution to that charity, which resulted in the esta- blishment of the National Sailor's Home at Quincy, Mass. It arrived, however, too late to be printed for its benefit. Naval Rendezvous, Navy Yard, Charlestown, Mass. September loth, 1872. ILLUSTRATIONS. COLORED PLATES. Page. I. United States National and Revenue Ensigns, Jacks and Pennants, 1872, to face the title. II. The Flags of European States, 1871, ------ 67 III. The Flags of American States, Oriental Nations, &c. (Part II), - 101 IV. The New England Colors, 1686, - - - - - - -123 V. St. George's and St. Andrew's Crosses; The Union or King's Colors, 1606; Union Ensign, 1707; Grand Union Flag, Jan. i, 1776, - 133 VI. Flags of 1775, 1776, 143 VII. The Grand Union Flag of 1776 a Facsimile of the Flag of the Schooner Royal Savage, 153 VIII. The Stars and Stripes 1777-1872; Proposed United States Standard, 1818 (Part III), 179 IX. Southern flags, 1861-64 (Part V), 28 7 X. Distinctive Flags of the United States Navy, 1776-1872 (Part VI), 455 XI. Distinctive Pennants, and Flags United States Navy 1866-1872, - 467 XII. American Yacht Ensign, with the Club Signals and Pennants of the New York, Boston, Portland, Eastern, San Francisco, South Boston, Bunker Hill and Dorchester Clubs, - - - - - - -485 Portrait of Commodore Hopkins, Commander-in-Chief of the American Navy being an albert-type facsimile of a mezzotinto engraving published by TAos. Hart Aug. 22, 1776, - - - - - - - - -164 The Standard of the Philadelphia Light Horse, presented to that corps by Capt. Abraham Markoe, 1774-75, lithographed, from a drawing taken from the original standard by C. J. Lukens of Philadelphia, - - - - -183 ILLUSTRATIONS. WOOD ENGRAVINGS. Page. Pulaski's Banner, 1778, - - 17 Flag of Washington's Life Guard, 1776, 18 De Montfort's Banner, - - 23 Bannerole of Oliver Cromwell, - 24 Pennon of Sir John Daubernon, 1277, 25 Ten Ensigns of the nth Century from the Bayeaux Tapestry, - 27 Ancient Ship and Ensign, - 27 Streamer and Ship of the Earl of Warwick, - - - - 31 Knights Templar Standards, - 40 Hospitaller's Standard, - - - 41 Egyptian Standards, - - ' - 42 Standards of Pharaoh, - - -4.1 Assyrian Standards, 44 A Roman Standard, - - - 46 Labarum of Constantine, 47 Roman Imperial Standards, - - 47 Imperial Standard of Japan, - 61 Balboa taking possession of the Paci- fic Ocean, 1513, - - - 66 A Spanish Standard, 1558, - - 67 Royal Standard of Russia, 68 Royal Standard of Portugal, - - 68 Banner of Charlemagne, - - 71 The Auriflamme, - - - 72 The Bourbon Royal Standard, - 73 The Crest of the Black Prince, - 8 a Banner of Henry Plantagenet, - 83 Two Standards of Henry VIII, - 85 The Standard of Edward III, - 86 The Douglass Standard, 1388, - 88 Arms of Henry V, - - - 86 Flag unfurled by Columbus, 1492, no Standard of Spain, 1492, - - no Raleigh's Ship, 1585, ... u J 388, are still preserved in Scotland. The story of the battle represents Douglas as having a personal encounter with Percy in front of Newcastle, taken from him his spear and hanging flag, saying he would carry it home with him and plant it on his castle The Douglas Standard, ,38,. rf j,,,^.. The battle itself was an effort of Percy to recover this valued piece of spoil, which however, found its way to Scotland, not- withstanding the death of its captor. One of the two natural sons of Douglas, founded the family of Douglas of Cavers in Rox- burghshire, which still exists in credit and renown ; and in their hands are the relics of Otterburne now nearly five hundred years old. It is found, however, that history has somewhat misrepre- sented the matter. The Otterburne flag, proves not to be a spear pennon, but a standard thirteen feet long (two yards longer than the regulated sizes of an emperor's standard) bearing the 1 Penny Cyclopedia. a Chambers 's Book of Days. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 89 Douglas arms ; it evidently has been Douglas's own banner, which of course his sons would be most anxious to preserve and carry home. Here is a standard laid up in store at Cavers more than a hundred years before America was discovered. 1 THE ROYAL STANDARD OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. The origin of the emblazonments on that gorgeous banner may be thus historically sketched. 2 The lions passant gardant or, on a red field were the arms of Normandy and two of them were introduced by William Rufus ; the third was added by Henry II for the duchy of Aquitaine, which he possessed in right of his wife. Edward III quartered with the lions the fleur-de-lis powdered on a blue field, of which five were entire, and borne in the first and fourth quarters. This he did on claiming the sovereignty of France, in right of his mother, Isabel, sister and heiress of Charles the Fair ; thus the royal standard was composed of the arms of France and England com- bined, and such it continued until the reign of Henry V, when the French king having reduced the number of fleur-de-lis to three, Henry did the same and they so appear on the standard carried by the Great Harry, in the time of Henry VIII, and they occur the same on a royal standard at the main of a Arms of Henry ship of war (supposed tobe the Ark Royal of Ra- V, of England, leigh) of the time of Elizabeth, as represented on the tapestry of the old house of lords, and which was destroyed by the fire. On a staff abaft, this ship has a plain square flag of St. George white with a red cross. On the union of England and Scotland, through the accession of James I, the standard underwent a change, the first and fourth quarters being each the arms just described, the second introducing the lion of Scotland, and the third quarter the harp of Ireland. William III placed an escutcheon of pretence upon the royal standard, for Nassau, which was removed by Queen Anne, and the standard then stood, the first and fourth quarterings the lions of England and Scotland, the second quarter the fleur-de-lis, and 1 Chamber s 1 ! Book of Days. 2 The royal banners of England have always borne the same blazonry as the royal :~i j shield. 12 90 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE the third quarter the harp. George I again changed it, and the arms of Brunswick, of Lunenburg, of ancient Saxony, the crown of Charlemagne formed during his reign the fourth quarter, the other quarters remaining as in the reign of Queen Anne. On the legislative union with Ireland in 1801, the fleur-de-lis of France were removed. Charles I, in his issue with the parliament, having decided to make a solemn appeal to the sword, published a proclamation requiring all his subjects who could bear arms to meet him at Nottingham on the 23d of Aug., 1641, when he designed to raise his royal standard, the first and only times of such a rally since the raising of the standard by the barons at Northallerton, A. D. 1138. At the appointed time a numerous company, mounted and on foot, came from the surrounding country, rather to indulge their curiosity with respect to the mode of conducting an ancient ceremony never before witnessed in the memory of man, than to offer loyal assistance to their sovereign. On the hill, three troops of horse and a corps of about six hundred foot were drawn up to guard the standard. Just as the herald was about to begin, King Charles desired to see the proclamation ; and calling for pen and ink, placed the paper on his knee as he sat in the saddle, and made several alterations with his own hand, afterwards returning it to the herald, who then read it ; but on coming to the passages which the king had corrected, with some embarrassment. Immediately after the read- ing, the trumpets sounded, the standard was advanced, and the spectators threw up their hats, shouting "God save the king!" The standard raised was a large blood red streamer bearing the royal arms quartered, with a hand pointing to the crown which stood above, and inscribed with the motto " Give Ctzsar his due." Farther on towards the point were represented at intervals the rose, the fleur-de-lis, and the harp, each surmounted by a royal crown. Some delay now took place. It was with difficulty the stand- ard could be fixed in its place, from the ground being solid rock and no instruments to pierce it having been provided. Scarcely had this object been accomplished by digging into the firm stone with the daggers and halbert points of the soldiers, when a fierce gust of wind sweeping with a wild moan across the face of the hill FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 91 laid prostrate the emblem of sovereignty. This accident was regarded as a presage of evil, and a general melancholy overspread the assembly. That day no further attempt was made, and the standard was borne back into the castle in silence. The next day and the day following the ceremony was repeated, the king attending on each occasion with less gloomy auspices. 1 THE ROYAL STANDARD OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND was established, and was first hoisted on the Tower of London, and on Bedford Tower, Dublin, and displayed by the Foot Guards, Jan. I, i8oi. 2 When the new standard was first hoisted on board the Royal William at Spithead after the union, it was considered of ominous import by the sailors of the fleet, that a gale of wind blew it from the mast-head and it was lost. 3 It is a gorgeous banner, and when flashing its golden splendor in the bright beams of the sun presents a beautiful appearance. .The emblazonry represents the arms of the time being of the nation, as impressed upon the coins and borne upon the great seal and seals of office. Its bearings have been several times changed, as circumstances rendered necessary. The royal standard is never hoisted except on occasion of the first ceremony. It is never displayed on ship board except when the sovereign or some member of the royal family is actually present, 4 or on the sovereign's birthdays, when the com- mander-in-chief of a fleet hoists it at the main. In garrisons at such times it always supersedes the jack, or common garrison flag. 1 Cattermole's Great Civil War. 2 Haydn's Book of Dates. 3 British Naval Chronicle. 4 The only occasion on which the royal standard is known to have been displayed within the United States of America was when the Prince of Wales embarked at Portland, Maine, Oct. 15, 1860, to return to England after his tour through the United States and Canada. " The prince's last act on American soil was to take leave of the mayor of Portland. He then stepped hurriedly down the carpeted steps where he embarked to his barge, which had a silken union jack flying at the stern. The moment he stepped on board, a sailor at the bow unrolled a small royal standard of silk attached to a staff and placed it at the bow of the boat. As soon as it was in place the whole British squadron, mustering eight or ten ships, honored it with a royal salute of twenty-one guns. The yards of the ships were at the same time manned, and when the prince stepped on the deck of the Hero, his own ship, the royal standard was run up at her main, and again saluted by the whole fleet, which immediately after weighed and put to sea, the Hero leading. As they passed Fort Preble, the American ensign was run up at the fore and saluted by the whole fleet with twenty-one guns from each ship, which was returned by the guns of the fort." Goold's History of the Portland Rife Corps. 92 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE As established in 1801, it was heraldically described as " Quarterly first and fourth, gules three lions passant gardant in pale or, for England. Second, or, a lion rampant gules within a double tressure flory counter flory of the last for Scotland. Third, azure, a harp or, stringed argent, for Ireland. On an escutcheon of pretence, ensigned with the electoral bonnet ; and divided per pale and per cheveron, enarched with three com- partments, the arms of his majesty's dominions in Germany, viz : two lions passant gardant in pale or, for Brunswick. Second or, semee of hearts proper, a lion rampant azure, for Brunswick. Third, gules, a horse courant argent, for Saxony. In the centre on an escutcheon gules, the crown of Charlemagne proper, being the badge of the office of arch treasurer to the holy Roman empire." x The white horse on a red field, was the armorial bearing of ancient Saxony or Westphalia, and has. for centuries been borne by the illustrious house of Brunswick. The banner of Witte- kend bore a black horse, which on his conversion to Christianity by Charlemagne, was altered to white as the emblem of the pure faith he had embraced. In 1700 a medal was struck at Hanover to commemorate the accession to the electorate of George Lewis, Duke of Hanover, afterwards George I. This medal bears on one side the head of the elector, and on the reverse the white horse. On the accession of George I, the white horse was in- troduced as a royal badge in the standards and colors of certain regiments of cavalry and infantry. When Queen Victoria came to the throne, under the opera- tion of the Salic law, she was compelled to relinquish the king- dom of Hanover to her uncle the Duke of Cumberland, and the escutcheon of pretence with its electoral bonnet, blue lion and white horse, was removed, leaving the original quarterings for the three estates of the realm, England, Scotland and Ireland as it now is. (Plate II.) 1 Naval Chronicle, vol. v. 2 The schooner Duke of Gloucester, 14, was captured at York, now Toronto, capital of Upper Canada, when that place was taken by a land and naval force under Gen. Pike and Commodore Isaac Chauncey, on the 25th of April, 1813. A royal standard was captured at the same time. [Description of Flags in the Gunnery room of the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md., 1871.] This is probably the only instance of the royal standard of the united kingdom having come into the posses- sion of an enemy. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 93 The kingdom of Hanover has since been incorporated with the empire of Germany. Sir Walter Scott, alluding to the royal banner of Scotland, says that upon it, " The ruddy lion ramps in gold." The Scottish lion being rampant gules on a field or, as seen in the present standard of the united kingdom. THE UNION JACK OR FLAG OF GREAT BRITAIN. The combination of the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew pro- duced the first union jack, which was declared in 1606 by King James I, to constitute the national ensign of Great Britain, happily symbolizing the union of England and Scotland, in the union of the crosses of the two realms. In 1801, in conse- quence of the legislative union with Ireland, a second union ensign superseded its predecessor. The new compound device was required to comprehend the three crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick in combination. (Plate II.) The blazonry of this second union jack is borne by the Duke of Wellington charged upon a shield of pretence over his paternal arms, as an " augmentation of honor " significant and expressive. The Duke of Marlborough bears in like manner, the cross of St. George upon a canton in commemoration of the services of his ancestor. At what time or for what reason the name of jack was given to this flag is conjectural by the old historians, but in old records it is almost universally styled the UNION FLAG. Some have attributed the name to the upper part of a trooper's armor being so named, which name was transferred during the time of the Crusades to the St. George's cross on a white field which the soldiers wore over their armor both before and behind. Others think that the new flag received this name in honor of James I, the abbreviation of whose signature Jac^ they say it is. The name is mentioned in 1673, in the English treaty with the Dutch, which obliges "all Dutch ships or squadrons of war meeting those of Great Britain, carrying the king's flag called the jack within certain seas and bounds to strike their topsail and lower their flag with like ceremony and respect as heretofore by Dutch ships to those of the king of England or his ancestors." 94 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE The royal ordinance establishing the first union jack is as follows : " Whereas some differences hath arisen between our subjects of South and North Britain, travelling by sea, about the bearing of their flags; for the avoiding of all such contentions hereafter, we have, with the advice of our council, ordered from henceforth all our subjects of this Isle and Kingdom of Great Britain and the members thereof, shall bear in the main top the red cross, commonly called St. George's cross, and the white cross com- monly called St. Andrew's cross, joined together, according to a form made by our heralds ; and sent by us to our admiral, to be published to our said subjects ; and in the foretop our subjects of South Britain (England) shall wear the red cross only, as they were wont ; and our subjects of North Britain (Scotland) in the foretop the white cross only, as they were accustomed, where- fore we will and command all our subjects to be conformable and obedient to this our order, and that from henceforth they do not use or bear their flags in any other sort, as they will answer to the contrary at their peril. " Given at our Palace this I2th day of April, 4th lacques, A. D. 1606.'" There are instances in which this union flag is represented, with the St. George's cross forming the entire head, and the St. Andrew's the entire fly. There is no drawing extant " of the form made by the heralds " sent to the admiral to be published, but as the paintings of Vandervelde and others show on the bowsprits of vessels of war, the flag known as the union jack, to which the cross of St. Patrick was added in 1801, it is presumptive proof that such was the form of union devised by the heralds. In a drawing of the Duke of York's yacht, visiting the fleet in the Med- way painted by Vandervelde, preserved in the British Museum, all the ensigns have merely a red cross in a canton, but every bowsprit is furnished with a union jack, and two of the largest ships carry it aloft, one the Breda at the main, and another at the mizzen. There is also an admiral's ship with the white at the main. In a paper, dated Friday, the I4th Jan., 1652, given, " By the commissioners for ordering and managing y e affairs of the Ad- 1 United Service Journal. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 95 miralty and Navy," ordering what flag shall be worn by various flag officers, it is ordered " all the shipps to wear jacks as formerly." The king's proclamation Jan. i, 1801, establishing and ordering the present red ensign, known as the "Meteor flag of old England," to be worn by all the merchant ships of the kingdom in- stead of the ensign before that time usually worn by them, goes on to say, " to the end that none of our subjects may presume on board their ships to wear our flags, jacks. and pendants which, according to ancient usage, have been appointed as a distinction to our ships, or any flags, jacks or pendants in shape or mixture of colors so far resembling ours, as not to be easily distinguished therefrom, we do, with the advice of our privy council, hereby strictly charge and command all our subjects whatsoever that they do not presume to wear on any of their ships or vessels, our jack commonly called the union jack, nor any pendants, nor any such colors as are usually borne by our ships without particular warrant for their so doing from us, or our high admiral of Great Britain, or the commissioners for executing the office of high admiral for the time being ; and we do hereby also further command all our loving subjects, that without such warrant as aforesaid, they presume not to wear on board their ships or ves- sels, any flags, jacks, pendants or colors made in imitation of or resembling ours, or any kind of pendants whatsoever, or any other ensign, than the ensign described on the side or margin hereof," &c. The proclamation then proceeds to except from this order certain vessels temporarily employed by the govern- ment, which are to " wear a red jack with a union jack described in a canton at the upper corner thereof, next the staff." All merchant ships displaying the union jack, &c., were to have their colors seized, and the masters and commanders and other per- sons so offending were to be duly punished. This union flag or jack was worn, and continues to be worn on the bowsprit of all ships of war. Is also worn by the admiral of the fleet at the main royal mast head of his flag ship, and is the common garrison color hoisted over all the forts belonging to her majesty's dominions. It is heraldically described thus: The crosses of St. George and St. Andrew, on fields argent and azure, azure, the crosses saltiere of St. Andrew and St. Patrick quarterly, per saltiere counter 96 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE charged argent and gules, the latter fimbriated of the second, surmounted by the cross of St. George, fimbriated as the saltiere." 1 In 1823 it was royally ordained that no merchant ship or vessel should carry the union jack, unless it was borderedon all sides with white, equal in breadth to one-fifth of the breadth of the jack exclusive of the border. The penalty for using the royal union jack on board a merchant vessel is .500. The military flags of Great Britain now in use may be grouped in the two grand divisions of cavalry banners (they are styled STANDARDS, but they are and ought to be banners), and infantry colors. The banners of the cavalry are small in size ; their color is determined by the color of the regimental facings ; they are charged with the cypher, number, peculiar heraldic insignia, and the honors (such as Waterloo, Alma, Solferino, etc.), of each regiment. The banners of the household cavalry, how- ever, are all crimson, and are richly embroidered with the royal insignia of England. Every infantry regiment or battalion of the line has its own " pair of colors." Of these, one is the queen's color, a union jack charged with some of the regimental devices, the other is the regimental color, and its field is of the same tincture as the facings; it is combined with a small jack, and bears the cypher, number, device, motto, and honors of the corps. At first, each infantry regiment had one color only ; then there were three to each regiment. In the reign of Queen Anne, the colors were reduced to their present number, a " pair." The colors of the Foot Guards reverse the arrangement of those of the line. Their queen's color is crimson, either with or without a can- toned jack, but always charged with the royal cypher and crown, and the regimental devices. The regimental color of the Guards is the union jack. The Guards also have small company colors. The royal artillery and rifles of the line have no colors. The volunteer regiments have at present been left to determine both whether they shall carry colors, and also what shall be the character of the colors whenever they decide to adopt them. What may be termed the volunteer banner, is worthy of the 1 British Naval Chronicle, vol. V, pp. 64, 65. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 97 force. It is charged with the figures of an archer of the olden time and a rifleman of to-day, with the motto Defence^ not de- fiance.* In the military hospital at Chelsea there is preserved a large number of military trophies, and among them the following American flags : 1. An American national color of 2d regiment of the line taken by Gen. Brock on the frontier. 2. An American flag when taken probably in the revolutionary war. 3. An American flag the same as the above. 4. A regimental color of the 4th American regiment. 5. An American flag taken by the 85th regiment on the left bank of the Mississippi. 6. An American flag, taken in the first war probably at Boston. 7. An American regimental flag of the ad regiment. 2 The flag which floated over the Nelson column in Trafalgar square in 1844, was part of the ensign which thirty-eight years before waved over the immortal hero on the memorable day of his last great achievement and death.3 A gentleman residing at Sacramento, California, has in his possession a genuine flag of Old Erin, a banner of green, with a golden harp in the centre. It is the identical banner carried by the rebels of 1789 in Ireland, and most notably at the siege of Drogheda. It was brought to the United States by the father of its present possessor, James Gildea. The flag is thirty feet long by ten wide and has been well preserved. 4 An idea was long entertained in England that the admiral's red flag had been taken or stolen from the main masthead of the admiral's ship, and that the Dutch obtained that trophy in one of the battles between Blake and Van Tromp. It was a mistaken notion, for the red flag was .and never has been taken or surrendered. The last admiral who wore it before it was re- l BouteWs Heraldry. 2 Army and Navy Chronicle, from a London paper, 1836. The American ensign of the Canadian rebel steamer Caroline is preserved in the museum of the Royal Military and Naval Institute, Scotland Yard, London. 3 London Nautical Magazine , 1844. * ValUy"* Cal. Chronicle, Oct. 28, 1871. 13 98 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE Stored to the navy by the creation of a batch of admirals and rear and vice admirals of the red after the battle of Trafalgar, Oct. 21, 1805, was Sir George Rooke as admiral of the fleet, when commander of the combined forces of England and Hol- land in the Mediterranean in 1703. Upon the union of England with Scotland, the red flag was discontinued to be worn, and the union jack superseded the red flag at the main, as the distin- guishing flag of the admiral of the fleet. 1 Up to 1864, the royal navy wore ensigns of the three colors red, white or blue, according to the rank of the officer com- manding. In that year, as will be seen by the following admi- ralty circular, the white ensign was alone reserved for the royal navy, the blue and red ensigns being given up to the use of the naval reserve and merchant's marine, and at the same, the seve- ral grades of admirals cf the red and blue merged, under the white ensign with St. George's red cross on a white field, the white ensign for a distinguishing flag. DISTINGUISHING FLAGS AND PENNANTS. Her majesty has been graciously pleased, by her order in council, to direct that the classification of flag officers under the denomination of the red, white, and blue squadrons, shall be discontinued, and that the follow- ing regulations shall be henceforward established in regard to distinguish- ing flags and colors : DISTINGUISHING FLAGS. Admirals, vice-admirals, and rear admirals shall, in future, wear re- spectively a white flag, with the red St. George's cross therein, at the main, fore, or mizzentop-gallant mast-head. In boats and tenders with less than three masts, vice-admiral's flags shall be distinguished by one red ball in the upper part of the flag, near the staff, and rear admiral's by two such balls. DISTINGUISHING PENNANTS. Commodores of the 1st class shall wear a white broad pennant, with a red St. George's cross therein, at the main-top gallant mast-head. Commodores of the zd class a similar broad pennant at the foretop- gallant mast-head. When two or more of her majesty's ships are present in ports or road- 1 British Naval Chronicle, 1805, also 1816. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 99 steads, a small broad pennant (white, with a St. George's cross) is to be hoisted at the mizentop-gallant mast-head of the ship of the senior officer. When more than one commodore of the 1st class shall be present, the junior commodore shall wear such distinguishing mark or pennant as the commander-in-chief (or senior officer) may order, under the authority given by article 8, section IX, chapter 2. Commodores of the zd class, when carrying their pennants in boats and tenders, shall be distinguished by a red ball in the upper part of the pennant next the mast. The fly of the long pennant for her majesty's ships shall be, in future, white. COLORS, NAVY. All her majesty's ships of war in commission shall bear a white ensign, with a red St. George's cross and the union in the upper canton. COLORS, NOT NAVY. Merchant ships and vessels employed in the service of any public office shall carry the blue ensign and a small blue flag with the Union described therein, as prescribed, blue being substituted for red. The blue ensign and union jack with a white border may be borne by ships and vessels commanded by officers of the Royal Naval Reserve Force, and fulfilling in other respects the conditions required to entitle them to the privilege. 1 1 CONDITIONS. The commander must be an officer of the royal naval reserve, and 10 of the crew must be royal naval reserve men. One third part of the seamen of the crew must be men belonging to the royal naval reserve. Before hoisting the blue ensign the ship must be provided with an admiralty warrant. Ships failing to fulfil the above conditions, unless such failure is caused by death or other circumstances over which the owners have no control, will no longer be entitled to wear the blue ensign. The ship, if fitted by the shipowners with magazines for the ammunition, will be supplied on demand with an armament (as per scale). The owners must undertake that the guns, stores, and ammunition be taken care of by the officer R. N. R. Commanding, and that the guns and stores be returned as far as possible in good order, in such manner and at such times and places as the admiralty may direct. Carrying guns is left optional with the shipowner, but a privilege in respect of drill will be given to officers and men who have sailed from a port in the united kingdom during the year, and have been drilled on board ships carrying guns and the blue ensign. Such officers and men will only be subjected to a test drill of two days, on board one of her majesty's drill ships, which, if they pass satisfactorily, will entitle them to release from further attendance at drill that year. Officers commanding H. M. ships meeting with ships carrying the blue ensign will be authorized to go on board such ships, at any convenient opportunity, and see that these conditions are strictly carried out, provided that they are superior in rank to the officer R. N. R. Applications for permission to wear the blue ensign will be forwarded to the ad- miralty from the lords of the committee of privy council for trade, who will issue regulations as to the mode of proceeding. 1QO ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE FLAG OF THE U. S. The red ensign and union jack with a white border are to continue, the national colors for all other British ships, with the exception of yachts and such other vessels as their lordships may from time to time authorize to bear distinguishing flags. All regulations not conflicting with the foregoing remain in force. By command of their Lordships : Admiralty, 5th August, 1864. C. PAGET. PL Ml FLAGS OF AMERICAN STATES See MEXICO. " SAKI DOMINGO HAITI ' U.S.orCOLUMBIA HONDURAS II NICARAGUA |! COSTA RICA I BRAZIL V PARAGUAY H .GUATEMALA U D M J RAl BRA1I L I SAN SALVADOR m - a- . it- VENEZUELA I ARGENTINE ECUADOR PARAGUAY ADMIRAL PERSIA FLAGS OP ORIENTAL NATIONS. JAPAN CHINA 51AM PACIFIC ISLANDS. AFRICA HAWAII r \Hl^; II NEW ZEALAND >l LIBERIA Tfwse Flags marked- y< are. tnaji^of-tvar flag** MfrdvoJitmen, liarc tiia ^cune- witliout tiir a, nt~ or denci*. PART II A. D. 860-1777. THE EARLY DISCOVERIES OF AMERICA, AND THE FIRST BAN- NER PLANTED ON ITS SHORES, A. D. 860-1634. COLONIAL AND PROVINCIAL FLAGS, 1634-1766. FLAGS OF THE PREREVOLUTIONARY AND REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD, PRECEDING THE STARS AND STRIPES, 1766-1777. And then the blue-eyed Norseman told A saga of the days of old, There is, said he, a wondrous book Of the dead kings of Norroway, Of legends in the old Norse tongue, Legends that once were told or sung In many a smoky fire-side nook. And he who looks therein may find The story that I now begin. Longfellow. Far o'er yon azure main thy view extend, Where seas and skies in blue confusion blend : Lo ! there a mighty realm, by Heaven designed The last retreat for, poor oppress'd mankind j Formed with that pomp which marks the hand divine, And clothes yon vault where worlds unnumbered shine. Here spacious plains in solemn grandeur spread, Here cloudy forests cast eternal shade j Rich valleys wind, the sky tall mountains brave, And inland seas for commerce spread the wave. With noble floods, the sea like rivers roll, And fairer lustre purples round the pole. Here, warmed by happy suns gay mines unfold The useful iron and the lasting gold ; Pure, changing gems in silence learn to glow, And mock the splendors of the covenant bow. Far from all realms this world imperial lies Seas roll between and threat'ning tempests rise, Alike removed beyond ambition's pale, And the bold pinions of the venturous sail j Till circling years the destined period bring, And a new MOSES lift the daring wing. On yon fair strand behold that little train Ascending venturous o'er the unmeasured main j No dangers fright, no ills the course delay j Tis virtue prompts, and God directs the -way. * * 4 * * ,* Here empire's last and brighest throne shall rise, And peace, and right and freedom greet the skies j To morn's fair realms her trading ships shall sail Or lift their canvas to the evening gale : In wisdom's walks her sons ambitious soar, Tread starry fields, and untried scenes explore, And hark ! what strange, what solemn breaking strain Swells, wildly murmuring o'er the far, far main ! Down time's long lessening vale the notes decay, And lost in distant ages roll away. Timothy Diuighfs Prophecy of America, written 1771-1774. PART II. THE EARLY DISCOVERIES OF AMERICA, AND THE FIRST BANNER PLANTED ON ITS SHORES, A. D. 860-1634. Expeditions to the shores of North America are said to have gone forth from the British Isles in very ancient times, and even in advance of the Northmen ; first under the conduct of Ma- doc, a prince of Wales, and afterwards under the lead of Irish adventurers. No other than vague traditionary accounts of these expeditions have come down to us, but records of early voyages from Iceland have been found, which afford the strongest circumstantial evidence that the New England coast was visited, and that settlements thereon were attempted by Scandinavian navigators full five hundred years before the first voyage of Columbus. Naddod, a Scandinavian called the Sea king, in the year 860, and Gardar, a Dane, soon after, are said to be the first Northmen who, driven by storms, came in sight of Iceland, and reconnoitered it. The good news they brought home induced others to follow in their track, and the Northman, Ingolf, A.D., 874, was the first who settled there. He and his men found there the Christian Irish- men, the Papas or Papar, whom they dispossessed and drove out. In 877 another north-east storm drove one of these Icelandic settlers, named Gunnbjorn, to Greenland, which he appears only to have seen in the distance. It was a long time before any other adventurer followed in his track. At last, in the spring of 986, Eric the Red sailed from Iceland with the intention of seeking for Gunnbjorn's country. Having found it, he established a settle- ment he called Brattalid,ina bay which after him was called Eric's Fiord. He found the country pleasant, full of meadows, and of a milder climate than the more northern Iceland. He gave it the name of Greenland, saying that this would be an inviting name, 104 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE which might attract other people from Iceland. Another ad- venturer, Heriulf, soon followed him, and established himself not far from our present Cape Farewell, at a place which after him was called Heriulfanas. Heriulf had a son, Biarne, who when his father went first to Greenland, was absent on a trading voyage to Norway. Re- turning to Iceland in 990 and finding his father with Eric the Red had gone to the west, he resolved to follow them, and to spend the next winter in Greenland. Boldly setting sail to the south-west, he encountered northerly storms ; after many days sail they lost their reckoning or course, and when the weather cleared descried land, but entirely unlike that described to them as Greenland. They saw it was a much more southern land, and covered with forests. It not being the intention of Biarne to explore new countries, but to find his father in Greenland, he improved a south-west wind and turned to the north-east, and after several days sailing by other well wooded lands bordered by icebergs reached Heriulfnas. His return passage occupied nine days, and he speaks of three dis- tinct tracts of land along which he coasted, one of which he supposed to have been a large island. The results of the expedition of Biarne may be stated to have been these : He was the first European who saw though from a distance and very cursorily, some parts of the coasts of New England, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. He also probably crossed the Gulf of Maine, without stopping however to explore its waters, or giving them names. When he returned to Nor- way (probably in 994), he was blamed by many for not having examined the new found countries more accurately. In Greenland, too, there was much talk about undertaking a voyage of discovery to the west. Leif, the son of Eric the Red, the first settler* in Greenland, having bought Biarne's ship in the year 1000, equipped her with a crew of thirty-five men, among whom was Biarne himself, and went out on Biarne's track to the south-west. They anchored and went on shore at what was probably Newfoundland, and after a brief delay pursued their voyage and came to a low wooded coast with shores of white sand, which they named Markland, (woodland) our present Nova Scotia. Continuing their course, in two days they again FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. _[Q5 made land, a promontory projecting in a north-easterly direction from the main, corresponding pretty well to our present Cape Cod. Leif rounding this cape to the west, sailed some distance westward, entered a bay or harbor, and went on shore. Find- ing the country very pleasant, he concluded to spend the winter there, and formed a settlement which was called Leifsbu- dir (LeiPs block house or dwelling). It is with a great degree of probability supposed that this settlement was on the south coast of Rhode Island somewhere in Narragansett bay, perhaps not far from Newport. Leif and his men made several ex- ploring expeditions to the interior. On one of these, a German, named Tyrker, who had long resided with LeiPs father in Ice- land and Greenland, lost his way and was missing. Leif with some of his men went in search of him, and had not gone far, when they saw him stepping out from a wood, holding some- thing in his hands and coming towards them, very much excited and speaking in German. At last he told them in true Norse " I found vines and grapes," showing them what he held in his hands. Leif, being an Icelander and Greenlander, had probably never seen fresh grapes, and asked " Is that true, my friend ? " and then Tyrker said that he might well know they were real grapes having been born and educated in a country in which there were plenty of vines. The Northmen collected their long boat full of grapes, and from this circumstance Leif gave his new southern country the name of Finland (the country of vines), which was afterwards extended to the whole coast as far north as Markland (Nova Scotia). During the winter Leif observed that the climate of Vinland was quite mild, and that throughout the year the days and nights were much more equal in length than in Greenland. On the shortest day in Vinland the sun was above the horizon from 7 : 30 A.M. to 4 : 30 P.M. This astro- nomical observation confirms the generally adopted view, that their settlement was in the southern part of New England. Filling their vessel with wood they returned to Greenland in the spring. LeiPs brother, Thorwald, being of opinion the new country had not been explored sufficiently, borrowed LeiPs ship, and aided by his advice and direction, commenced another voyage to 106 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE this country in 1002. Sailing on the track of his predecessors he arrived at Leifbudir in Vinland, and spent the winter in fishing and cutting wood. In the spring he sent out his long boat to the southward on a voyage of discovery, and she did not return until the fall of the year. 1 The next year (1004) he undertook another voyage, and visited, it is supposed, the coast of Maine and Cape Cod, and had a battle with the aborigines, it is supposed near the harbor of Boston, and that this first battle between the Europeans and American aborigines was fought on the same ground wherein modern times were fought the first battles of the American colonists with the British troops. Of course the victory was with the Euro- peans. After the victory, Thorwald asked his men whether any had been wounded. Upon their denying this he said " I am : I have an arrow under my arm will be my death blow ! " Advising them to take their departure as soon as possible, he requested them to bury him on a hilly promontory overgrown with wood which he had previously selected as his abode, saying : " I was a prophet, for now I shall dwell there forever. There you shall bury me, and plant there two crosses, one at my head and one at my feet, and call the place Krossances, the promontory of the 1 These events were about the time of the never to be forgotten massacre of the Danes in England and the revengeful invasion of the English coast by Sweyne, whose sister Gunhilda had been put to death with her husband and son, in the presence and by command of Edric Streone, one of the Anglo-Saxon chieftains. He ravaged De- vonshire, Dorsetshire and Wiltshire, as also, other parts and burnt several towns until Etheldred was glad to purchase a two years respite at a cost of 36,000, equivalent to the worth of 720,000 acres of land at that time. He was also compelled to feed his invaders. Southey^s Naval History. The Danish ships with which Sweyne, or Swaen, made his descent upon the Eng- lish coast in 1004, have been described with some minuteness by contemporary chro- niclers, and afford us some idea of the vessels in which Leif and his brother Thorwald sailed along the American coast. Each vessel, says Sir N. Harris Nicolas (History of the Royal Navy, vol. l), copy- ing from the cotemporaneous chronicles, had a high deck and bore a distinctive em- blem indicating its commander, similar in its object probably to the banners of later chieftains. The prows of the ships were ornamented with figures of lions, bulls, dol- phins, and of men, made of copper gilt, and at the mastheads of others were vanes in the shape of birds with expanded wings, showing the quarter whence the wind blew. Their sides were painted with various colors, and the shields of the soldiers of polished steel were placed in rows around the gunwales. Sweyne's own ship, which was called the Great Dragon, is said to have been built in the form of the animal whose name it bore 5 its head forming the prow, and its tail the stern. The mysterious Scandinavian standard of white silk having in its centre a raven, with extended wings and beak open, the supposed ensurer of victory, which had been embroidered by three of Sweyn's sisters in one night amidst charms and magical incantations, (see page 64), was on board his ship, but it was not displayed until he landed in England." FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 107 crosses, for all time coming." x Thorwald upon this died, and his men did as he had ordered them. Thorwald's men returned to the settlement at Leifsbudir, and spent with them the following winter. But in the spring of 1005, having collected a cargo of wood, furs and dried grapes, they sailed to Greenland. The results of Thorwald's expedition were, that he and his men staid on the coast of New England nearly two years principally occupied in explorations. They sailed along the south coast of New England towards and per- haps beyond New York. They recognized and described more minutely the important headlands of Cape Cod, and gave it the appropriate name of Kiarlarnes (Ship nose). They intended an expedition along the coast of New England toward the north, which was turned back near the harbor of Boston by the death of Thorwald. The next voyager was Thorstein, Eric's third son, who re- solved to proceed to Vinland in his brother's ship with twenty- five able and strong men, to obtain his brother's body. His wife Gudreda, a woman of energy and prudence,, accompanied him. They got no farther than Greenland when a sickness broke out. Thorstein and others died, and Gudreda returned with the ship to Eric's fiord on the southern coast of Green- land. In the following summer (1006), two ships arrived at Eric's fiord from Iceland. Thorfinn, a wealthy and powerful man of illustrious lineage, who commanded one of them, fell in love with Gudreda, the widow of Thorstein, and married her. Thorfinn, urged by his wife and by others, resolved to undertake a voyage to the south, and in the summer of 1007, prepared three ships, their united companies amounting in all to one hun- dred and sixty men, and with the intention of colonizing in the new and beautiful land, took all kinds of live stock along. They sailed in the spring of 1008, and were the first European navigators that made a coasting voyage along the coast of Maine, keeping in sight of the land until they came to Cape Cod, which from its long sandy beaches and downs they named Furder strandr, beaches of wonderful length. Their settle- ment was formed near Leifsbudir, on the other side of the 1 Query. May not this have been the promontory near the Clifford House beyond Plymouth, Mass., which is first beyond Cape Cod ? 108 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE water, at a place which pleased Thorfinn better, and which was called Thorfins-budir. It stood near a small recess or bay, called by them hop or corner. On the low grounds around this hop, they found fields of wheat growing wild, and in the rising ground plenty of vines. Here Gudreda, the wife of Thorfinn, gave birth to a son who received the name of Snorre, who may be considered the first American child born of Euro- pean parents. In a subsequent attempt to explore the coast of Maine, Thorhall, one of Thorfinn's men, was driven over to the coast of Ireland. After a while, discontent and dissensions broke out among the settlers, and Thorfinn with his wife, Gudreda, and his American son, Snorre, then three years of age, left the country together, and with a good southerly wind returned to Greenland. It is probable a party of his men remained behind and continued the settlement of Vinland. Thorfinn never re- turned there, but went afterwards to Norway, and from thence in 1014 to Iceland where he bought him an estate and resided for the remainder of his life with his wife and son. After his death and the marriage of Snorre, his widow Gudreda made a pious pilgrimage to Rome where she was received with distinction. She afterwards returned to her son's estate in Ice- land, where Snorre had built a church, and where after all her adventures she long lived as a religious recluse. In 1 1 21 the voyage to Vinland of a bishop of Greenland named Erik is mentioned in Icelandic Annals. The fact that such a high ecclesiastical functionary should go to Vinland, appears to be good proof that since Thorfinn's time, Northmen settlers or traders had tarried there. Of the results of his ex- pedition we have no particular information. After his voyage we hear no more of Vinland for more than one hundred years, nor of countries south-west of Greenland. Then in 1285, two Icelandic clergymen, Aldatrand and Thorwald Helgason visited on the west of Iceland, " a new land," and some years afterwards the king of Denmark sent out a ship commanded by a certain Rolfe to pay a visit to this new land, supposed to have been Newfoundland. Another hundred years after this event, the Icelandic Annals had the following remarkable, though short report : " In the year 1347, a vessel having a crew of seventeen men sailed from FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 109 Iceland to Markland." From the middle of the fourteenth century down to the modern discovery of America by Columbus, Cabot, and others, we learn no more of Scandinavian undertakings in this direction. The heroic age of the Northmen, and their power and spirit of enterprise had long passed by. 1 These early voyagers left no traces of their presence on the continent, unless it shall be conceded that the round tower at Newport, about the origin of which, history and tradition are alike silent, was built by them : it stood there when the first English people visited Rhode island, and the Narragansett In- dians had no traditions of its origin. Information of these voyages seems not to have spread in Europe. The great discovery was forgotten or remembered only in dim traditionary tales of the exploits of these old sea kings of the North ; or these new lands were considered a part of the European continent, connected along the ice-bound re- gions of the north. When Columbus conceived the grand idea of reaching Asia by sailing westward, no whisper of these Scan- dinavian voyages was heard in Europe. It is almost equally certain that the junks and boats of the Asiatic nations driven by storms from the islands and coasts of Asia, drifting along on the recently discovered kiro-sima or black current, which skirts the coast of Japan and is lost in the Behring's straits, and which, though more powerful, answers in the Pa- cific to the Gulf stream of the Atlantic, were thrown upon the Pacific coast of America, and that their shipwrecked crews and passengers found their way into the interior of the continent. It seems also to be highly probable that other northern Asiatics found their way by the Aleutian isles and Behring's straits from the projecting capes of Asia to our Pacific shores. Some refer the origin of the Indian tribes of America to the Phenicians ; others perceive evidences of their Egyptian or Hindoo parentage, and others claim they are the lost tribes of Israel " who took counsel to go forth into a far country where never mankind dwelt." Within almost every state and territory, remains of human skill and labor have been found, which seem to attest the ex- 1 This account of the Scandinavian voyagers is derived chiefly from ist vol. of the ad series of the Collections of the Maine Historical Society, containing a History of the Disco-very of Maine , by J. G. Kohl, published in 1869. 110 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE istence here of a civilized nation or nations before the ancestors of the present Indian tribes became masters of the continent. Some of these appear to give evidence of intercourse between the people of the old world and those of America centuries perhaps before the birth of Christ, and at periods soon after- wards. 1 Remains of fortifications, similar in form to those of ancient European nations, have been discovered fire-places of regular structure, weapons and utensils of copper and walls of forts and cities. A Roman coin was found in Missouri ; a Per- sian coin in Ohio ; a bit of silver in Genesee, N. Y., with the year of our Lord 600 engraved on it, etc. Near Montevideo, South America, a tomb was found in which were two ancient swords, a helmet and shield with Greek inscriptions showing they were made in the time of Alexander the Great 330 years before Christ. The flags, banners or standards which these peoples planted upon the shores of America in token of their occupancy and sove- reignty, must ever remain conjectural. Nothing concerning them can come down to us. Beyond a doubt, the first banners displayed upon the shores of the new world of which there is any account, were those un- furled by Columbus, when he first landed upon the small out- Flag unfurled by Columbus. Standard of Spain. lying island of St. Salvador, Oct. 12, 1492, which fortunately are thus described by his son : " Columbus dressed in scarlet first 1 Lasting' s History of the United States. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. HI stepped on shore from the little boat which bore him from his vessels, bearing the royal standard of Spain emblazoned with the arms of Castile and Leon [a turreted and embattled castle or, on a field gules for Castile, quarterly on a field argent, a lion rampant gules for Leon] in his own hand, followed by the Pinzons in their own boats each bearing the banner of the expe- dition, viz.: a white flag with a green cross, having on each side the letters F and Y surmounted by golden crowns." 1 In 1498, Columbus discovered the continent and planted the Spanish banners at the mouth of the Oronoco, supposing it to be an island on the coast of Asia. He lived and died in ignorance of the real grandeur of his discoveries, while Americus Vespu- cius a Florentine, who explored the eastern coast of South America, north of the Oronoco, a year later, 1499, made the first formal announcement to the world of the great dis- covery, in 1507, and gave name to the new continent of the west. At the court of England, u there was great talk of the undertaking of Columbus, which was affirmed to be a thing more divine than human, and his fame and report increased in the hearts of some of the king's subjects, a great flame of desire to attempt something alike notable." Thus inspired, king Henry VII of England, March 5, 1496, issued a patent to John Cabot and his three sons, Lewis, Sebastian and Sancius, to sail with five ships " under the royal banners and ensigns to all parts, coun- tries and seas, of the east, of the west, and of the north, and to seek out and discover what soever isles, countries, regions, and provinces in what part of the world soever they might be, which before this time had been unknown to Christ- ians. The king gave them further license " to set up the royal banners and ensigns in the countries, places or mainland newly found by them, and to conquer, occupy, and possess them as his vassals and lieutenants. 2 The patentees having to arm and furnish their vessels, to buy victuals, and to provide all other things necessary at their own cost, were not able to make use of the royal permission until more than a year after it was issued, and did not sail from Bristol until May, 1497. -^ * s asserted by some that the expedition 1 Narrative of Don Fernando. Irving' s Life of Columbus. 2 See patent in Latin in Hakluyfs Dion's foyages. London, 1860. 112 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE comprised four vessels, but we only know with certainty that the admiral's ship was called the Matthew^ that she was the first vessel that touched our American shores, and the only one that returned in safety to Bristol. Relative to the course which the Cabots followed on this voyage we have no definite information. Formerly it was supposed that they made their landfell near some cape of the island of Newfoundland, but a more careful examination of the known facts has induced Baron Humboldt, and all recent writers, to believe that what they called Prima Vista (the first country seen), June 24, 1497, must be found in Labrador, in 56 or 58 north latitude). We hear that they sailed along the coast about three hundred leagues. The Matthew arrived at Bristol early in August, for there is an entry in the privy purse accounts of Henry VII, dated "Aug. 10, 1497," m which the king says "that he has given a reward of ten pounds to hym that found the new isle " and " Pasqualigo " under date " London, 23 Aug. 1497," announces to his brothers in Venice the return of John Cabot from his voyage of discovery, that he had found at a distance of seven hundred leagues in the west a firm land along which he had coasted for the space of three hundred leagues, not having met a living person at the points where he had landed, but still having observed there some traces of inhabitants, trees notched, and nets for catching game. On his return, he had seen on his right hand two islands, where however he had not wished to go on shore on account of the failure of his provisions ; he had re- turned to Bristol after a voyage of three months having left in the lands which he had discovered a grand cross, with the banner of England and that of St. Mark of Venice. If this be true, then under King Henry's patent, and orders " to set up his royal banners and ensigns in the countries, &c., newly found," it is more than probable that the English standards and ensigns with the Venetian banner of St. Mark were the first ever planted by any European nation planted upon the shores of North America since those of the Northmen, and that they were set up a year earlier than Columbus raised the castles and lions of Castile and Leon at the mouth of the Oronoco. On their return from this voyage the Cabots believed they had discovered portions of Asia, and so proclaimed it. But the more extensive discoveries FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 113 of a second voyage corrected this view and revealed nothing but a wild and barbarous coast stretching through 30 degrees of latitude, and forming an impassable barrier to the rich posses- sjons of China which they hoped to reach. Doctor Asher, a German writer, in his Life of Hudson, published in London in 1 860, observes " The displeasure of Cabot involves the scientific discovery of a new world. He was the first to recognize, that a new and unknown continent was lying, as one vast barrier, between Western Europe and Eastern Asia." The voyages of these enterprising mariners along the entire coast of the present United States, and along the whole extent of a great continent, in which at this time the English race and lan- guage prevail and flourish, has always been considered as the true beginning, the foundation and corner stone of all the English claims and possessions in the northern half of America. English flags were the first which were planted along these shores, and Englishmen were the first of modern Europeans, who with their own eyes surveyed the border of that great as- semblage of countries in which they were destined to become so prominent ; and were also the first to put their feet upon it. The history of each one of that chain of states stretching along the western shores of the Atlantic begins with Sebastian Cabot and his expedition of 1498. x On the map of the eastern coast of North America by Juan de la Cosa, in the year 1500, the discoveries of the Cabots are marked by English standards, while the Spanish possessions of Cuba and other West India Islands are similarly marked with Spanish standards. During the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII, several expeditions were made by the English to the north-east of America. Their leading motive in those expeditions was the hope of finding a shorter passage to the rich countries of eastern Asia. The last English expedition of this kind in 1536, ended 1 M. D'Avezac, in a letter to Dr. Woods, dated Paris, Dec. 15, 1868, advocates that John Cabot discovered North America in 1494, and that he kept his discovery secret to escape the exclusive pretensions of Spain and Portugal, until he had obtained the letters patent from Henry VII, signed March 5, 1496, and returned from his voyage in Aug., 1496. See Maine Historical Collections^ vol. I, new series. 15 114 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE with such loss of life, and other disasters, that a most unfavor- able impression appears to have been made by it on the nation. After this, for nearly fifty years, the English seem to have en- tirely abandoned the east coast of America. The expedition commanded by John Rut, in 1527, after Cabot, was the second expedition which sailed along the entire east coast of the United States, as far south as Carolina, and was the last official enter- prise of the English in our waters until the expedition of Sir John Hawkins in 1565. It was not until the twentieth year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and almost eighty years after the discovery of the continent by Cabot, that healthy efforts to found colonies in the new world were matured by the English. In June, 1578, Sir Humphry Gilbert, a step brother of Sir Walter Raleigh, obtained a liberal patent or grant from the queen. Raleigh gave him the aid of his hand and fortune ; and early as 1579, Gilbert sailed for America with a small squadron accompanied by his step brother. Heavy storms and Spanish war vessels compelled them to return, and the scheme for a time was abandoned. Four years afterwards (1583), Gilbert sailed with another squadron, and after a series of disasters reached the harbor of St. John, in Newfoundland. There he set up a pillar with the English arms upon it, and proclaimed the sovereignty of the queen. Proceeding to explore the coast southward, after being terribly beaten by tempests off the shore of Nova Scotia, and Maine, and losing his largest ship, he turned his vessel toward England, and during a September gale his little bark, the Squirrel, of ten tons, went down with all on board, and only one vessel of the expedition reached England. In 1784, Raleigh obtained a patent for himself of all lands in America, (between the Santee and the Delaware rivers), and dispatched Philip Amidas and Arthur Barlow to explore the American coast. They approached the shores of Carolina in July, and took possession of the islands in Pamlico, and Albe- marle sounds in the name of Queen Elizabeth. They remained a few weeks exploring and trafficking, and returned to England with two Indians named Manteo and Wanchese. The glowing accounts of the newly discovered country filled Raleigh's heart FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 115 with joy. The queen declared the event one of the most glorious of her reign, and in memorial of her unmarried state, she gave the name of VIRGINIA to the enchanting region. April 19, 1585, Raleigh dispatched a fleet of seven vessels under the command of Sir Richard Grenville, with a governor and colonists for the purpose of making a permanent settlement of the inviting land. A series of disasters followed, and induced by misfortunes and fear, the emigrants abandoned their settle- ment on Roanoke island and were all conveyed to England, by Sir Francis Drake, June, 1586. Raleigh undis- mayed by the result of his first attempt, dispatched a band of agriculturists and Raleigh's Ship. artisans with their families April 26, 1587, to found an industrial state in Virginia. This attempt at colonization like the others proved a failure, and a century after the discoveries of Columbus and Cabot, there was no European settlement upon the North American continent. Twelve years after the failure of Raleigh's colonization efforts, Bartholomew Gosnold sailed in a small bark directly across the Atlantic for the American coast, and after a voyage of seven weeks, discovered the continent, May 14, 1602, near Nahant. Sailing southward he landed upon a sandy point which he called Cape Cod, and afterwards discovered Nantucket, Martha's Vine- yard, and the group of islands known as Elizabeth's Islands, which he named in honor of his sovereign. Upon an islet in a tiny lake he built a fort and store house, but alarmed at the menaces of the Indians and the want of supplies, he returned to England in June. In 1605, Capt. George Weymouth entered the Sagadahock, and took formal possession of the country in the name of King James, and the same year De Monts, a wealthy French Huguenot, organized a French settlement at Port Royal (now Annapolis) and called the territory around it Acadia. In 1 606, the Plymouth company obtained their charter and soon after dispatched an agent to examine north Virginia. In 1607 Jamestown was ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE founded, and in 1607 Popham, with one hundred emigrants landed at the mouth of the Kennebec where they erected a stockade, a storehouse and a few huts. All but forty-five returned to England in the vessels, those who remained named the settle- ment St. George. A terrible winter ensued. Lacking courage to brave the perils of the wilderness the emigrants abandoned the settlement, and returned to England in the spring of 1608.* From the foregoing it will be seen that every attempt of Englishmen during the reign of Queen Elizabeth to colonize the new world proved abortive, and it was not until the accession of her successor James I, and union of the kingdoms of Eng- land and Scotland, that her flag was permanently planted upon its shores. COLONIAL AND PROVINCIAL FLAGS. 1634-1766. The flags used by the American colonies prior to their separa- tion from the mother country would naturally be those of Eng- land, though such does not appear to have been invariably the case. Several flags differing more or less from the standards and ensigns of that kingdom seem at times to have been in use. The ancient national flag of England, the cross of St. George, a white banner with a red cross, was the universal badge of the English soldiery as early as the I4th century, and was worn by them over their armor, and blazoned on their shields. Why St. George was constituted the patron saint of England, has 1 The English claimed dominion over a belt of territory extending from Cape Fear, in North Carolina, to Halifax, in Nova Scotia, and indefinitely westward. This was divided into two districts. One extended from the vicinity of New York city northward to the present southern boundary of Canada, including the whole of New England, and westward of it, and was called North Virginia. This territory was granted to a company of " knights, gentlemen and merchants," in the west of England, called the Plymouth Company. The other district extended from the mouth of the Potomac southward to Cape Fear, and was called South Virginia. It was granted to a company of " noblemen, gentlemen, and merchants," chiefly resi- dents of London, called the London Company. The intermediate domain of almost two hundred miles, was a dividing line, so broad that disputes about territory could not occur, as neither company was allowed to make settlements more than fifty miles beyond its own boundary. Lossing's History of the United States. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 117 been and continues to be a puzzle to antiquarians, but " St. George for England," or " Merrie England," was a usual war cry, and his banner above all others was the national banner of English- men. Whatever other banners were carried, it was always fore- most in the field. Adopted as the national standard and ensign, it continued to be such until A. D. 1606, when King James I by his royal proclamation, 1 united with it the cross of St. Andrew, a diagonal white cross, on a blue ground, (which had been the flag and badge of the Scots from the time of the Crusades), as a dis- tinguishing flag, for all his subjects traveling by sea. This union of the crosses in 1606 of the two kingdoms which had been united by the accession of James in 1603, was called the king's colors. They were required to be displayed from the main tops of all British vessels, those of South Britain (England), however, were to carry the St. George's cross, and those of north Britain (Scotland), the St. Andrew's cross, in their fore tops, to designate which section of the united kingdom they hailed from ; the union flag of course taking precedence in the main top and at the after part of the vessel. 2 The first grant of the crown of England under which effectual settlements were made in North America, was dated April 10, 1606, the very year the crosses of the two kingdoms were united by royal proclamation. By this charter all the country in America between latitude 34 and 45 north, was called Virginia ; two companies were constituted, one called the London Company the other the Plymouth Company. To the first named was assigned of this vast territory all that portion lying between the parallels of 34 and 41 north latitude under the name of South Virginia. To the latter all lying to the north of 41 , called North Virginia. Such was the vague extent of the old dominion of Virginia. 3 After the execution of Charles I, the new council of states on the 22d Feb., 16489, passed a resolution: "That the ships at sea in the service of the states shall bear the red cross in a white flag. That the engraving upon the sterns of the 1 See ante. 3 Rushworth says, 1634 (vol. ir, pp. 247) that " the union flag, that is the St. George's and St. Andrews crosses joined together, was still to be reserved as an ornament proper to the king's own ships, and ships in his immediate service and pay, and none other. English ships were to bear the red cross, Scotch the white. 3 See note ante. 118 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE ships shall be the arms of England and Ireland in two escutcheons as is used in the seals." Soon after we read of vessels sailing under the long parliament flag which bore on a blue field the yellow Irish harp, with the St. George's cross next the stafFin a white canton. Under the protectorate we find a blue flag in use, bearing in the field the two shields of England and Ireland, viz: argent, a cross gules, and azure a harp or. These were joined together in a horse shoe shape, and surrounded by a white la- bel of three folds, the motto in black letters " Floreat Res. Publica," and Long Parliament Flag. outs j de ^ go j den bnmches of laure j ? leaved green. Another flag of this period preserved as late as 1 803 in one of the storehouses of Chatham dock yard, bore the same shields slightly separated on a red field, and surrounded by branches of palm and laurel. On the fleet which restored Charles II to the throne of his father, the royal cypher took the place of the state's arms, and the harp was removed from the long parliament flag, which they also bore as having been instrumental in the restoration of that body during the previous year. Soon after this, under James duke of York, who had been appointed the lord high admiral of England, Ireland, Wales, &c.,and of the dominions of New Eng- land, "Jamaica and Virginia, &c., in America, we find the flags of the navy to have been the royal standard ; the lord high ad- miral's flag, then as now a foul anchor or, on a red field, the union jack or flag and the English ensign red, cantoned with the St. George's cross. During the civil war, the colors or flags were principally red for the royalists, orange for the parliamentarians, and blue for the Scotch, and all of them cantoned with a red St. George's cross on a white field. The complete union of the kingdoms was not fully accom- plished until a hundred years after this union of crosses in the king's colors, in 1 707, viz : whenunder Queen Anne, the kingdom of Great Britain, including England, Wales and Scotland, was established by treaty and the first union parliament assembled. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 119 The act of parliament which ratified this union of the king- doms, January 16, 1707, ordained "that the ensigns armorial of our kingdom of Great Britain " shall be " the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew conjoined (the same as heretofore de- scribed as the king's colors), to be used on all flags, banners, standards and ensigns both at sea and land" " and the ensigns described in the margent hereof (the crosses or king's colors conjoined in the upper corner of a crimson banner, since known as the meteor flag of England, to be worn on board all ships or vessels belonging to any of our subjects whatsoever." These flags were known familiarly as union flags, from their typefying the union of England and Scotland, and were commonly used by the American colonies in connection with other devices un- til their rupture with the mother country. Thus early the idea of a union flag became familiar to them. As the king's colors had been authoritatively prescribed for sub- jects traveling by sea only, it is probable the St. George's cross continued to be very generally used by the English subjects of Great Britain on land until the act of 1707, for the parliament of the Commonwealth under Cromwell adopted the old standard. Ireland was conquered in 1691, but was not incorporated into the kingdom until Jan. I, 1801, long after our revolution, and then the cross of St. Patrick, a red diagonal saltiere was fim- brated on the white cross of St. Andrew and conjoined to the other two, and the union jack of the united kingdom assumed its present form. The present ensign of Great Britain was never worn by any of the American colonies. 1 It is to be presumed the cross of St. George was hoisted over the Mayflower when she disembarked our Pilgrim fathers at Plymouth in 1620, as it was the common sea ensign of English ships of that period. Belonging to South Britain she may also 1 The proclamation declaring what ensigns, colors, etc., are to be borne by the subjects of the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland may be found in full in the British Naval Chronicle, vol. v, 1801. One of the British flags surrendered at Yorktown, and presented to Washington by congress, was the same as the king's colors, established by James I, excepting that in the centre of the cross there is a white square with a crown above the garter. The garter is inscribed with the usual motto, Honj soit qui ma! y pensc, and enclosing a full blown rose. This flag is now in the museum at Alexandria, Va. It is made of heavy twilled silk, and is six feet long and five feet four inches wide. Lossing has an engraving of it in his Field Book of the American Re-volution. The garrison flag of Great Britain is the union jack or flag, prescribed Jan. I, 1801. 120 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE have displayed the king's colors from her main top, and a St. George's cross at the fore, as required by the king's proclama- tion of 1606. From the records of Massachusetts, we gather that the red cross of St. George was in use in that colony in 1634, if not earlier. In that year according to the records, complaint was entered, u that the ensigns at Salem had been defaced by Mr. Endicott's cutting out one part of the red cross. Roger Williams is ac- cused of having agitated the matter, and therefore accountable for the trouble it occasioned. The case was examined as a high handed proceeding which might be construed into one of rebellion to England, on the complaint of Mr. Richard Browne, ruling elder of the church at Watertown, before the court of assistants. The court issued an attachment against Ensign Richard Davenport, then the ensign bearer of Salem, whose colors had been mutilated, to appear at the next court, which was not held until a year after his flag was so mutilated. It was then shown that the mutilation complained of was done not from disloyalty to the flag but from an entire conscientious con- viction that it was idolatrous to allow it to remain, and that having been given to the king of England by the pope, it was a relic of anti-Christ. Endicott was judged to be guilty of a great offence inasmuch as he had ' with rash indiscretion and by his sole authority, committed an act giving occasion to the court of England to think ill of them ' for which he was deemed worthy of admonition, and should be disabled from bearing any public office for one year." The provincial authorities were, however, doubtful of the law- ful use of a cross in the ensign, and had there been no fear of a royal governor little would have been heard about this mutila- tion of the colors at Salem, for only two months later all the ministers except Mr. Ward, of Ipswich, were assembled at Boston, to consider among other things whether it was lawful to carry a cross in the banners. The opinion of the meeting on that subject being divided, the matter was deferred to another meeting in March, at which Mr. Endicott was called upon to answer. This meeting was able to agree no better than the previous one, and the record continues, " because the court could FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 121 not agree about the thing, whether the ensigns should be laid by in that regard that many refused to follow them, the whole case was referred to the next general court, and the commissioners for military affairs gave orders in the mean time that all ensigns should be laid aside." In the interim a new flag having for an emblem the red and white roses in place of the cross was proposed, and letters in relation to the matter were written to England, for the purpose of obtaining "the judgment of the most wise and godly there." This project seems not to have met the approval of the wise and godly in England, for in December, 1635, it is recorded that the military commissioners u appointed colors for every company," leaving out the cross in all of them and appointing that the king's arms should be put into them, and in the colors of Castle island, Boston. All ships in passing the fort at Castle island, were bound to observe certain regulations, but after these occurrences the fort wearing for a time no flag to signify its real character, presented the appearance of a captured or deserted fortress. Under these circumstances in the spring of 1636, the ship St. Patrick, Capt. Palmer, was brought to, by Capt. Morris, the officer in command of the fort, and made to strike her colors. Capt. Palmer complained to the authorities of the conduct of the commander of the fort, as a flagrant insult both to his flag and country. They therefore ordered the commander of the fort before them, and in the presence of the master of the ship, informed him that he had no authority to do as he had done, and he was ordered to make such atonement as Capt. Palmer should demand. The captain was very lenient, only requiring an acknowledgment of his error on board of his ship, " that so all the ship's company might receive satisfaction." This Lieut. Morris submitted to, and all parties became quieted ; but within a few days another circumstance occurred respecting the fort with a somewhat different result. The mate of a ship called the Hector pronounced all the people traitors and rebels because they had discarded the king's colors, and was brought before the court and made to acknowledge his offence and sign a paper to that effect. 16 122 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE These occurrences troubled the authorities lest reports should be carried to England that they had rebelled, 1 and that their contempt of the English flag was proof of the allegation. To counteract such representations, Mr. Vane, the governor, called the captains of the ten remaining ships then in harbor together, and desired to know if they were offended at what had happened, and if so what they required in satisfaction. They frankly told him that if questioned on their return to England " what colors they saw here," a statement of the bare facts in relation to it might result to their disadvantage. Therefore they would recommend that the king's colors might be set up in the fort. The governor and his advisers arrived at the same conclusion, and directed to give warrant to spread the king's colors at Castle island, where ships passed by. There being no king's colors to be found to display at the fort, the difficulty was met by two of the shipmasters offering to present them with a set, but so fearful were the authorities of tolerating a symbol of idolatry, they declined receiving the colors thus offered until they had first taken the advice of Mr. Cotton in regard to them. It was finally concluded that although they were of the decided opinion that the cross in the ensign was idolatrous and therefore ought not to be had in it, nevertheless as the fort was the king's and maintained in his name, his colors might be used there. In accordance with this opinion the governor accepted the colors of Capt. Palmer, sending him in requital three beaver skins, and directed Mr. Dudley to give warrant to Lieut. Morris, the commander of the fort, to spread the king's colors whenever ships were passing. This tempest in a tea pot, having been satisfactorily adjusted, the king's colors were continued at the castle, but excluded from use elsewhere in the colony, where through the religious pre- judices of the people, the flag bearing the king's arms, continued in use until the establishment of the commonwealth. In 1638, the subject of forming a confederacy of the New England colonies was discussed, but owing to divers differences the matter was delayed. 1 A seafaring man on approaching in his ship, having noticed that the flag displayed was destitute of a cross, "spoke to some one on board the ship that we had not the king's colors but were all traitors and rebels." Smith's Hist. Ncwburyport. NEW ENGLAND COLORS. FLAG OF NEW ENGLAND under SIR EDMUND ANDROS FftOM A DRAFT IN THE BRITISH STATE PAPER OFFICE] NEW ENGLAND PAPERS, VOL. 1A PAGE 223 / /etc 5imile "of tit 3EA COLORS OF NEW ENGLAND'. fnm an WO* I PUBLISHED StFOHt 1700. B UFFOftD >$ i I TH- BOSTON. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 123 In 1643, tne confederacy was formed, and in the articles of compact, the colonies were styled, THE UNITED COLONIES OF NEW ENGLAND. The union was declared to be perpetual, and the will of six of the eight commissioners chosen (two for each colony), was to be binding on all. We do not learn however that any common flag was adopted, until several years later (1686), when Gov. Andros received one from the king. (Plate IV.) In 1651, the English parliament revived and adopted the old standard of St. George as the colors of England, and the General Court of Massachusetts Ordered, u as the court con- ceive the old English colors now used by the parliament to be a necessary badge of distinction betwixt the English and other nations in all places of the world, //'// the state of England alter the same, which we very much desire, we being of the same na- tion, have therefore ordered, that the captain of the castle shall advance the aforesaid colors of England upon all necessary occasions." Mr. Whitmore, in the New England Hist, and Gen. Register for July, 1871, furnishes an interesting account of a local company of cavalry raised in 1659, just before the restoration of Charles II, the counties of Essex, Suffolk, Middlesex, Mass., and hence called the Three County Troop, and which according to the records con- tinued in existence until 1677, and possibly longer. His paper is illustrated with the annexed drawing of the standard and a bill of its cost copied from an entry in a Herald painter's book of the time of Charles I, now preserved in theBritish Museum. 124 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE It is as follows : " Worke don for New England For painting in oyle on both sides a Cornett one rich crimson damask, with a hand and sword and invelloped with a scarfe about the arms of gold, black and sillver [2. o. 6.] For a plaine cornett Staffe, with belte, boote and swible at first penny I. o. o For silke of crimson and sillver fring and for a Cornett String i . 1 1 . o For crimson damask 1 1 . o 5. 2.6 (NOTE. The first item 2.0.6 is not given but is deduced from the adding. The term " at first penny " may be the same as at first cost). The existence of this troop being clearly shown by the Mass, records of 1659-7 7, there can De no doubt the drawing represents its standard. We may imagine it was ordered from England be- fore King Philip's war, and that under its folds the best soldiers of the three counties took part in the fight. Two copies from the drawing agree in representing the inscription on the flag as " thre county trom" which is supposed to be a mistake, and that the flag really bore the words " Thre County Troop," the name of the company for which it was ordered. On the 3 ist of May, 1684, tne Hon. Nathaniel Saltonstall " late of Haverhill " one of the council for the colonies, wrote to Capt. Thomas Noyes of New- bury, Mass., concerning the colors of a company of foot commanded by the latter, as follows : " In y e Major Ge- neral's letter, I have ordered also to require you, which I herein do, with all convenient speed, to provide a flight of colors for your foot company, ye ground field or flight (fly) whereof is to be green, with a red cross with a white field in y e angle, according to the antlent customs of our own English nation, and the English plantations in America, and our own practise in our ships and other vessels. The number of bullets to be put into Colors of Capt. Noyes Company 1684. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 125 your colors for distinction may be left out at present without damage in the making of them." " So faile not, " Your friend and servant, " N. SALTONSTALL.' " In 1686, the flag of New England under the administration of Sir Edmund Andros, as appears by a drawing of it in the British State Paper office, was the cross of St. George borne on a white field occupying the whole flag, the centre of the cross emblazoned with a yellow or gilt crown over the cypher of the sovereign, King James I. (Plate IV.) The early colonial documents of New York have several mentions of flags in use in that colony, in the latter half of the seventeenth and the beginning of the eighteenth century. Sept. 10, 1650, Augustin Herman brought with him from Holland a flag for the burgher's corps of New Amsterdam, but Stuyvesant, who he wrote was doing as he pleased, " would not allow it to be carried." Jan. 17, 1653. The patroon and his codirectors of the colonie of Rensselaerswyck, complained that "tk/rflag had been hauled down in opposition to the will and protest of their officers." What that obnoxious flag was we have now no means of ascertaining, but the directors of the chamber of Amsterdam reply " they are ignorant where the flag was down." Jan. u, 1664, an English flag seems to have been displayed with considerable bravado by one John Schott in sight of the astonished burghers of New Amsterdam. " Capt. John Schott," says the record, " came to the*ferry in the town of Breucklin (Brooklyn) with a troop of Englishmen mounted on horseback, with great noise marching with sounding trumpets, &c.," and hoisted the English flag, and as soon as John Schott arrived, they uncovered their heads and spoke in English. Secretary Van Ruyven asked the captain to cross over, to which John Schott answered " No ! Let Stuyvesant come over with a hun- dred soldiers. I shall wait for him here." 1 Coffin^ History of Nrwbury, credited to Robert Adams's Manuscript. 126 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE In September of that year the red cross of St. George floated in triumph over the fort, and the name of New Amsterdam was changed to New York. Early in Oct., 1664, New Netherland was acknowledged a part of the British realm, and Col. Richard Nicolls its conqueror became governor. The journal of a voyage to New York in 167980, by Jasper Dankers and Peter Sluyter, -translated from the original Dutch manuscript and published by the Long Island Historical Society in 1 867, has several facsimile engravings from the original drawings. One of these, a curious picture of New York in 1679, has the union flag or king's colors flying over the fort, and another a view of New York from the north, has a rude drawing of a sloop sailing along with flags at the masthead, bowsprit end and stern bearing the St. George cross. King's colors flying over fort at New York, in 1 670. St. George's Cross on sloop, in 1679. Fortunately the same writers under date Boston, Thursday, July 23, 1680, give us a precise description of the flag then in use in that colony, by which it seems those colonists' objection to the cross as an idolatrous symbol, near half a century earlier (see ante, p. 1 1 6) still existed. Our voyagers say : " New England is now described as extending from the Fresh [Connecticut] river to Cape Cod and thence to Kennebec, comprising three provinces or colonies. Fresh river, or Connecticut, Rhode island and the other islands to Cape Cod, and Boston, which stretches from thence north. They are subject to no one, but acknowledge the king of England for their honeer [probably heer, FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 127 that is lord, is intended] and therefore no ships enter unless they have English passports or commissions. " Each province chooses its own governor from the magistracy, and the magistrates are chosen from the principal inhabitants, merchants or planters. They are all Independent in matters of religion, if it can be called religion ; many of them perhaps more for the purpose of enjoying the benefit of its privileges than for any regard to truth and godliness. I observed that while the English flag or color has a red ground with a small white field in the uppermost corner where there is a red cross, they have dis- pensed with this cross in their color, and preserved the rest." The diary goes on to give a poor and perhaps prejudiced account of the morality of the community which it would be out of place to copy here. Nov. 13, 1696, Messrs. Brooke and Nicoll, in a paper addressed to the H. M. commissioners for trade and plantations, relating to the requisites for the defence of New York, ask to be furnished with "six large union flags, for his ma t yes severa i forts" in that colony, and Feb. I, 1696-7, the lords of trade, write Governor Fletcher, his majesty has ordered with other stores that had been asked for "six union flags, which we doubt not the agents will accordingly take care to see shipt." Dec. 29, 1701, Lieut. Gov. John Nanfan writes from New York to the lords commissioners for trade and plantations : " Since my last to your Lordships of the 2Oth October, by Mr. Penn, I have the honor of your Lordship's letter of the I4th August, with their excellencies the Lord Justice's order on the reading the report from the lords of the admiralty relating to a flag of distinction from his majesty's ships of war to be worn by all ships that shall be commissionated by the governors of His Majestys Plantations, which I shall punc- tually observe." What these colors were does not appear, but J. Burchett writes to Mr. Popple from the admiralty office, April 19, 1708, that the lords, etc., instruct Lord Lovelace, the governor of New York, u they have no objections to certain colors proposed for privateers." Among the instructions furnished to Robert Hunter, governor of New York, dated Dec. 29, 1709, is the following, numbered 128 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE 85 : " Whereas great inconveniences do happen by merchant ships and other vessels in the plantations wearing colors born by our ships of war under pretence of commissions granted to them by the governors of the said plantations, and that by trading under those colors not only amongst our own subjects but also those of other princes and states and committing divers irregularities, they do very much dishonor our service for prevention whereof you are to oblige the commanders of all such ships to which you shall grant commission to the sample here described, that is to say such as is worn by our ships of war, with the distinction of a white escutcheon in the middle thereof, and that the said mark of dis- tinction may extend itself one half of the depth of the jack, and one-third of the fly thereof." 1 The lords of trade to the Duke of Newcastle, under date Aug. 20, 1741, forward instructions to the Hon. George Clin- ton x governor of New York, by one of which orders colonial vessels are " to wear the same ensign as merchant ships, and a red jack* with the union jack in a canton at the upper corner next the staff." Gov. Clinton writes the Duke of Bedford from New York, June 17, 1750, that the Greyhound man of war fired on a vessel with an intention of bringing her to, " she having a Birdgee flag hoisted," a shot struck a young woman Elizabeth Stibben by name, in the vessel, so that she expired a few hours after- wards. The vessel belonged to " Col. Richetts of the Jerseys, a hot headed, rash young man, who declared before he put off from the wharf he would wear that pendant in defiance of the man of war." This affair caused no little excitement, and was the occasion of considerable correspondence between the governor, the commander of the Greyhound, and the magistrates, etc. 1 Instructions to Governor Hunter, N. T. Colonial Hist., vol. v, p. 137. a See Account of Landing of British Troops at Boston , 1768. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 129 The cross of St. George from its establishment in 1651, by the commonwealth of England, continued in general use in the American colonies with occasional variations throughout the I7th century, and until the Union flag of James I, devised for his English and Scotch subjects in 1606, was prescribed by act of parliament for general use throughout the British dominions in 1707. A crimson flag of which the jack was a red St. George cross on a white field, was the ensign most generally in use in New England. Sometimes a tree, at other times a hemisphere, was represented in the upper canton next the staff formed by the cross, and occasionally the fly or field was blue. In a little book, something of the character of the Gotha Almanac, entitled The Present State of the Universe, by John Beaumont, Jr., printed at London, by Benjamin Motte, 1704, there is a picture of a New England ensign, with a tree, like the one above described. Another book entitled, A General Treatise of the Dominion of the Sea, etc., Third edi- tion, printed at London for the executors of J. Nicholson, with no date, but judged about 1707, has a folding plate of national flags, among which is a New England ensign of the same character, a tracing of whigh is here annexed. English Ensign. East India Co. Scotch Ensign. Scotch Union Flag. Irish Ensign. New England Ensign. From a plate of National Flags in the Dominion oftht Sta. 1707. 17 130 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE Alexander, Justices, Dominions and Laws of the Sea, London, 1 705, '(probably an earlier edition of the book above mentioned), represents the same flag. Another work, published in 1701, has a representation of this flag, and in still another work there is a representation of the flag of the New England colonies, which has a dark blue fly or field, with the St. George cross on a white jack, while in place of the tree a half globe is represented. Lossing, in his Field Book of the American Revo- lution, has a picture of the New England flag, with the tree, which he copies from an old Dutch work containing the flags of all nations, which all preserved in the library of the New York Historical Society. A correspondent of London Notes and Queries 2 writes, that he has a French work on flags, published in 1737, which describes a Pavilion de Nouvelle Jngleterre en Amerique, " as azure, on a canton argent, the red cross of St. George having a globe in the first quarter." The earliest notice of a new England flag emblematic of the union of more then one colony I have been able to find, is that of 1686, heretofore described. 3 (p. 119, plate IV). The departure from the authorized English flag and assump- tion of standards of their own by the colonists evinces a growing feeling of independence among the colonies, while the absence of a desire for separation is evident in the acknowledgment of allegiance implied by representing on them the colors of England, or when from tenderness of conscience they were left out, the substitution of the arms of the king. A green tree was the favorite emblem of Massachusetts, and appeared on the coins of that colony as early as 1652. By order of the general court in that year, a mint was esta- blished, and it was ordered that all pieces of money should have a double ring with this inscription " Massachusetts," and a tree in the centre on one side, and " New England " and the year of our Lord on the other. This was strictly adhered to by the mint master, and for thirty years all the coins not known as pine tree shillings, sixpences, etc., bore the date An. Dom. 1652. The rudeness of the impressions on these early coins may ren- *I. J. G., Hist. Mag., Sept. 1867. 8 See pages 116-118. "Vol. xii, zd Series, 1861. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 131 der it uncertain whether a pine tree was intended to be repre- sented or some other tree, though at length it received the name of one of the commonest tribes of trees in New England. Mr. Drake, in his History of Boston, says, the tree on the New England flag, of which he gives an illustration, " no more re- sembles a pine tree, than a cabbage." The following story confirms the idea that a pine tree may not have been the original design : When Charles II learned the colonies' assumption of one of his prerogatives to coin money, he was very angry, but his wrath was appeased by Sir Charles Temple, a friend of the colony, who told him they thought it no crime to coin money for their own use, and took some of the money from his pocket and handed to the king who asked him what tree that was upon It. " That," replied Sir Charles, " is the royal oak which preserved your majesty's life." The remark put the king in good humor, and he heard what Sir Charles had to say in their favor, calling them " a parcel of honest dogs." J This New England flag was undoubtedly the earliest sym- bol of a union of the colonies, and it probably went out of use after the adoption of the union flag of King James, by the act of parliament in 1707, for all the subjects of the British realm. As we have seen, that with the additional device of a white shield at the union of the crosses it was ordered (see ante), in 1709, to be worn by all merchant vessels commissioned by the colonial authorities of New York. On Will Burgess's map of Boston, engraved in 1728, there is pictured four ships at anchor and a sloop under sail, all wearing ensigns bearing the union jack of King James on a staff at the stern. One of the ships appears to be dressed with flags and is firing a salute ; another flies a long coach whip pennant at her main. Sir Wm. Pepperrell, commander of the expedition against Louisbourg, in 1 745, furnished the motto for the expeditionary flag, viz : Nil desperandum, Christeduce Never despair, Christ leads us which gave the enterprise the air of a crusade. Among those engaged against Louisbourg was William Vaughan, a 1 Curtain's 'Journal. 132 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE graduate of Harvard University, and holding the honorary rank of lieutenant colonel. He conducted the first column through the woods, within sight of the city, and saluted it with three cheers. He headed a detachment consisting chiefly of New Hampshire troops and marched to the north-east part of the harbor in the night, where they burned the warehouses, containing the naval stores, and staved a large quantity of wine and brandy. The smoke of this fire being driven by the wind into the grand battery, so terrified the French, that they abandoned it and retired to the city, having spiked the guns and cut the hal- liards of the flag staff". The next morning May 2, 1745, as Vaughan was returning with thirteen men only, he crept up the hill which overlooked the battery, and observed that the chimneys of the barrack were without smoke and the stafF without a flag. With a bottle of brandy which he had in his pocket, he hired one of his party, an Indian, to crawl in at an embrasure and open the gate. He then wrote to the general : 11 May it please your honor to be informed, that by the grace of God, and the courage of thirteen men, I entered the royal battery about nine o'clock, and am awaiting for a reinforcement and a flag." Before either could arrive, one of the men climbed up the staff" with a red coat in his teeth which he fastened by a nail to the top. This piece of triumphant vanity alarmed the city, and immediately an hundred men were dis- patched in boats to retake the battery. But Vaughan with his small party on the naked bank and in the face of a smart fire from the city and the boats, kept them from landing, till reinforcements arrived. 1 The name of the man who hoisted this impromptu flag with so much rash daring, is given in an obituary notice containing the following exaggerated version of his feat, printed in the Bos- ton Gazette, of June 3, 1771: " Medford, May 25, 1771. This day died here Mr. William Tufts, Jr., aged about 44 years. * * * * When about 1 8 years of age he enlisted a volunteer into the service of his king and country in the expe- dition against Cape Britain [Breton], under the command of Lt. General Pepperrell, in the year 1745, where he signalized his courage in a remarkable manner at the Island Battery, when 1 Belknap's History of Neiv Hampshire. PL. V ST. GEORGES CROSS. ST. ANDREWS CROSS. UNION OR KINGS COLORS. IGOG. UNION ENSIGN, .JAN. 16. 1707. 6RAND UNION FLAG . JAN . 1 . 177G /XT'//. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 133 the unsuccessful attempt was made by a detachment from the army to take it by storm. He got into the battery, notwith- standing the heavy fire of the French artillery and small arms, climbed up the flag staff, struck the French colors, pulled off his red great coat, and hoisted it on the staff as English colors, all which time there was a continued fire at him from the small arms of the French, and got down untouched, tho' many bullets went thro' his trowsers and cloathes." 1 Gov. Thomas Pownall, in his Journal of A Voyage from Boston to Penobscot River, May, 1759, mentions calling the Indians to- gether and giving them a union flag, probably, the union jack with a red field or flag, for their protection and passport. He also furnished them with a red and also a white flag, as emblems of war and amity. Afterwards he mentions hoisting the king's colors, on a flag staff" at Fort Point, with the usual ceremonies, and saluting them. 2 FLAGS OF THE PRE-REVOLUTIONARY AND REVOLU- TIONARY PERIODS. 1766-1777. In the cotemporary newspapers for ten years preceding the commencement of our revolutionary struggle, liberty poles and trees and flags of various devices are frequently mentioned. The obnoxious stamp act was passed March 22, 1765, but did not go into effect until November of the same year. It proved such a source of disaffection and rebellious utterances and acts, that it was repealed March 18, 1766, after having been in operation only four months. As soon as the glad tidings reached America, the colonists saw in its repeal a promise of justice for the future, and went into frenzies of rapture. They had cele- brations and bonfires, and were ready to purchase all the goods that England had to sell. At New York, they put up a liberty pole in The Fields, with a splendid flag inscribed " The King, 1 J. L. Sibley to the New England Hist, and Gen. Register, Oct., 1871. 3 Maine Hist. Co//., vol. v. 134 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE Pitt and Liberty " They ordered a statue of Pitt, who had insisted on the repeal, for Wall street, and another of George III for the Bowling green. It was soon found that the repeal of the obnoxious act was only a snare of their rulers, under cover of which, advantage was taken of their grateful mood, to wring concessions. Citizens were seized by the British men of war in the harbor and made to serve in the crews. Fresh taxes were levied. The soldiers openly insulted the people, and in a few weeks cut down their liberty pole. The angry but patient people raised a new pole, still with the loyal motto. The next spring (1766), the soldiers cut it down again. Next day came the Sons of Liberty, a society grown up with the peril of the times, composed of brave, loyal and intelligent men, and set down a new pole sheathed with iron around its base still with the old loyal motto: "To his most gracious majesty George III, Mr. Pitt and liberty." For almost three years this staunch liberty pole stood, though the soldiers attacked it once or twice. Finally one January day in 1770, a squad of red coats mustered at its base, and the gallant pole came down. The liberty boys were ready with another pole, but the timid corporation forbade them to raise it on public ground. So the liberty boys bought a strip of private ground close by the old stand, eleven feet wide and a hundred feet deep, and from the shipyard, where it had been formed, they escorted their new mast, six horses, gay with ribbons, drawing it, a full band going before, and three flags flying free, in- scribed Liberty and Property* 1 They took the mast to the field, and dug a hole twelve feet deep in which they stepped the liberty pole, after girding it with iron two-thirds of its length from the ground, defying the red coats to cut it down. On it they shipped a topmast twenty-two feet long on which was inscribed the word Liberty. This pole the British cut down in 1776. At Charleston, South Carolina, under a wide spreading live oak tree, a little north of the residence of Christopher Gadsden, within the square now bounded by Charlotte, Wash- ington, Brundy, and Alexander streets, the patriots of 1765 1 Valentine 's Manual of the City Councils of New York. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 135 were accustomed to assemble to discuss the political questions of the day, and from this circumstance that oak, like the great elm in Boston, obtained the name of liberty tree, and it is claimed and generally believed in South Carolina that under it, Gadsden, as early as 1764, first spoke of American Inde- pendence. Underneath it, on the 8th of August, 1776, the decla- ration of independence was proclaimed to the people. In 1766, the Sons of Liberty met under it and with linked hands pledged themselves to resist when the hour for resistance came. Its history and associations were hateful to the officers of the crown, and after the city surrendered in 1780, Sir Henry Clinton ordered it cut down, and a fire was lighted over the stump by piling its branches around it. Many cane heads were made from its stump in after years, and a part of it was sawed into thin boards, and made into a neat ballot box and presented to the '76 association. It was destroyed by fire at the room of the association during the great conflagration of 1838.* The old liberty tree in Boston was the largest of a grove of beautiful elms that stood in Hanover square at the corner of Orange (now Washington) and Essex streets, opposite the present Boyleston market. The exact site is marked by a building, erected by the late Hon. David Sears, in whose front is a bas- relief of the tree with an appropriate inscription. 2 It received the name of liberty tree, from the association called the Sons of Liberty holding their meetings under it during the summer of 1765. The ground under it was called Liberty hall. A pole fastened to its trunk rose far above its branching top, and when a red flag was thrown to the breeze the signal was understood by the people. Here the Sons of Liberty held many a notable meet- ing, and placards and banners were often suspended from the limbs or affixed to the body of the tree. Nov. 20, 1767, the day on which the new revenue law went into effect, there was a seditious hand bill posted on it. It contained an exhortation to the Sons of Liberty to rise on that day and fight for their rights, stating that if they assembled they would be joined by legions ; that if they neglected this opportunity, they would be cursed by all posterity. In June, 1768, a red flag was hoisted over it, and 1 Lossing. a Riverside Magazine. 136 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE a paper stuck upon it, inviting the people to rise and clear the country of the commissioners and their officers. 1 July 31, 1769, on Governor Bernard's being ordered to England, the general joy was manifested by congratulations among the people, salutes from Hancock's wharf, the union flag flying above liberty tree, and bonfires on the hills. The flag was kept flying for seve- ral days. August 14, 1773, the anniversary of the uprising against the stamp act was celebrated with great spirit, and a union flag floated over the tent in which the company had their entertainment. Nov. 3, 1773, a ^ ar g e ^ a g was ra i e d above the liberty tree and the town crier summoned the people to assemble. The destruction of the tea followed this meeting. In the winter of 1775-76, the British soldiers cut down this noble tree which from these associations had become odious to them. It furnished fourteen cords of wood, and probably went to ashes in the stove set up in the Old South meeting house, when the soldiers occupied that building for a riding school, and kindled fires with books and pamphlets from Prince's valuable library, the remnant of which is now preserved in the Boston Public Library. The destruction of the liberty tree was bitterly resented. At Taunton, Mass., in October, 1774, a union flag was raised on the top of a liberty pole, with the words Liberty and Union thereon. In January, 1775, the sleds containing wood for the in- habitants of Boston bore a union flag. The colonists had long been familiar with union flags, they now began to associate liberty with them. In the earliest days of the revolution each state seems to have set up its own particular banner. There were probably no *In 1768, Paul Revere published a view of a part of the town of Boston in New England, and British ships of war landing their troops, Friday, Sept. 30, 1768, of which a fac simile has been recently printed by Alfred L. Street, publisher of the Little Corporal, Chicago, 111. All the ships in front of the town, viz : The Beaver, Donegal, Martin, Glasgow, Mermaid, Romney, Launceston and Bonetta, with several smaller vessels carry the English red or union ensign of the time on a staff at the stern, a union jack on the bowsprit and a red pennant with a union at the main except the Glasgow, which has a red broad pennant at her main. The Glasgow several years later played an important part at the battle of Bunker's hill. The troops are landed and being landed on long wharf, and have two pairs of colors, one of each pair is the ordinary union jack, the other a red flag with a union jack in the centre of it. This is probably the red union jack, elsewhere mentioned. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 137 colors worn by the handful of Americans hastily called together at the battle of Lexington, but immediately after, the Connec- ticut troops had standards, bearing on them the arms of that colony, with the motto, ^ui transtulit sustinet, in letters of gold, which was freely translated, " God who transported us hither, will support us." By an act of the provincial congress of Connecticut, July I, 1775, the regiments were distinguished by the colors of their standards, viz: for the 7th, blue, 8th, orange, etc. In March, 1775, a union flag with a red field having on one side this inscription, Geo. Rex and the Liberties of America, and on the other No Popery, was hoisted at New York. The armed ships of New York of that time are said to have had a black beaver for their device on their flag. This was the device of the colonial seal of New Netherland, and is still seen on the seal of the city of New York. No description of the union flags of these times has been preserved. Aged people living Colonial Seal of New a f ew years since who well remembered the processions and the great flags, could not re- call their devices, nor has any particular description of them been found in the cotemporaneous private diaries or public newspapers ; nevertheless it is more than probable and almost certain, that, these flags were the familiar flags of the English and Scotch union, established in 1707, and long known as union flags, in- scribed with various popular and patriotic mottoes. The Hist. Chronicle of the Gentleman's Magazine under date April 17, 1775, records "by a ship just arrived at Bristol from America, it is reported that the Americans have hoisted their standard of liberty at Salem." Neither contemporary accounts nor the recollections of old soldiers, are satisfactory respecting the flags used at the battle of Bunker hill, on the I7th of June, I775- 1 It is not positively 1 The British used the following signals : " Signals for boats in divisions, moving to the attack on the rebels on the Heights of Charleston, June 17, 1775, viz.: i. Blue flag, to advance. Yellow ditto, to lay on oars. Red ditto, to land." Or- derly Soot of Major Gen. Hoiue. 18 138 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE ascertained that any were used by the Americans, certainly none were captured from them by the British. A eulogy on Warren, however, written soon after the battle describing the astonishment of the British on the morning of the battle says : " Columbia's troops are seen in dread array And waving streamers in the air display." It is to be regretted that the poet does not give a description of these fanciful waving streamers ; probably, says another writer, " they were as various as the troops were motley." Tradition asserts a red flag was used with the motto, Come if you dare.* Trumbull in his celebrated picture of the battle now in the ro- tunda of the Capitol at Washington has represented a red flag having a white canton bearing a green pine tree. 2 In a manuscript plan of the battle, colors are represented in the centre of each British regiment. Botta 3 says that Doctor Warren, finding the corps he com- manded pursued by the enemy, despising all danger stood alone before the ranks endeavoring to rally his men and to encourage them by his example. He reminded them of the motto inscribed on their ensigns, on the one side of which were these words " An appeal to Heaven " and on the other " )ui transtulit susttnet" meaning that the same Providence which brought their ancestors through so many perils to a place of refuge would also deign to support their descendants. 1 At a patriotic celebration in 1825, a flag was borne which was said to have been unfurled at Bunker hill, and tradition states that one was hoisted at the redoubt, and that Gage and his officers were puzzled to read by their glasses its motto. A whig told them it was " Come if you dare" 2 This, however, cannot be considered authoritative. Painters frequently take a poet's license and are not always particular in the accuracy of the cotemporary accesso- ries of their paintings. Thus Leutze in his celebrated painting of Washington cross- ing the Delaware, Dec. 25, 1776, conspicuously displays the American flag with the blue field and union of white stars, although the flag had no recognized existence be- fore the 1 4th of June following. Yet this inaccurate historical tableau has been selected to embellish the face of the fifty dollar notes of our national banks. The gold medal awarded to General Daniel Morgan for the battle of Cowpens, January 17, 1781, has on its reverse a mounted officer at the head of his troops charging a flying foe, while behind and over the officer are two large and prominent banners simply striped with thirteen stripes alternate red and white without the stars, though the stars had been for more than three years blazoned on the American en- signs. The medal was probably struck in France. 3 History of American Revolution. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. An intelligent old lady (Mrs. Manning) informed Mr. Los- sing 1 that her father who was in the battle assisted in hoisting the standard, and she had heard him speak of it as a noble flag. The ground of which was blue with one corner quartered by the red cross of St. George, in one section of which was a pine tree. On the 1 8th of July, a month after the battle, Major General Put- nam assembled his division on the height of Prospect hill, to have read to it the manifesto of con- Revolutionary Flag. gress signed by j ohn Hancock its president, and countersigned by Charles Thomson, secretary. The reading was followed by a prayer suited to the occasion, and at the close of the prayer, at signal from the general, the troops cried Amen, and at the same instant the artillery of the fort thundered a general salute and the colors recently sent to General Putnam bearing on the one side, the Connecticut motto, " >ui transtulit sustinet" and on the other the recognized motto of Massachusetts, " An appeal to Heaven" were unfurled, the same ceremony was observed in the other divisions. 2 Lieut. Paul Lunt in his diary, which has been printed, says : " May 10, 1775, marched from Newburyport with 60 men,Capt. Ezra Lunt, commander, and May 12, at n o'clock arrived at Cambridge. * * * June 16, our men went to Charlestown and entrenched on a hill beyond Bunkers Hill. * * * June 17, the regulars landed a number of troops and we engaged them. They drove us off the hill and burned Chariestown. July 2, Gen. Washington came into the camp. * * * J u ty 1 8th. This morning a manifesto was read by the Rev. Mr. Leonard, chaplain of the Connecticut forces upon Prospect Hill in Charlestown. Our standard was presented in the midst of the regiments with this inscription upon it ' Appeal to Heaven^ after which Mr. Leonard made a short prayer, and 1 Field Book of the American Revolution, vol. i, p. 541. 2 Bancrofts History of the United States. Frothingham's Siege of Boston. 140 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE then we were dismissed, by the discharge of a cannon, three cheers and a war whoop by the Indians." June 19, 1775* two days after the battle of Bunker Hill and before the news could have reached Georgia, there was a meet- ing of a committee of the leading men of Savannah, to enforce the requirements of the American association. After the meet- ing a dinner was had at Tondee's tavern, where a union flag was hoisted upon a liberty pole, and two pieces of artillery placed under it. In September, 1775, Arnold made his famous expedition through Maine to Canada, and when drifting down the gentle current of the Dead river, came suddenly in sight of a lofty moun- tain covered with snow, at the foot of which he encamped three days, raising the continental flag over his tent. What its color was, or the devices upon it, we have no means of ascertaining. The mountain is now known as Mount Bige- j ow ^ tradition asserting that Major Bige- low of Arnold's little army ascended to its summit hoping to see the spires of Quebec. During Sept., I775> two strong floating batteries were launched on the Charles river, and opened a fire toward the last of Oc- tober upon Boston that produced great alarm and damaged several houses. They appear to have been made of strong planks pierced near the water line, for oars ; and along the sides , higher up for light and musketry. A American Floating Battery, used & at the siege of Boston, heavy gun was placed at each end, and 5cript ' upon the top were four swivels. Their ensign was a pine tree flag, 1 the six schooners first commissioned by Washington and the first vessels commissioned by the united colonies sailed under the pine tree flag. 2 Col. Reed in a letter 1 Lossing's Field Book of the Revolution, 2 Capt. John Selman and Nicholas Broughton were commissioned by Gen. Washington (according to the statement of Selman to Elbridge Gerry), in the fall of The Pine Tree Flag, fh>m a ma? published in Paria, me. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. from Cambridge to Cols. Glover and Moylan under date Oct. 20, 1775, says : "Please fix upon some particular color for a flag, and a signal by which our vessels may know one another. What do you think of a flag with a white ground, and a tree in the middle, the motto ' AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN,' 1775, both living at Marblehead. " The latter as commodore of two small schooners, one the Lynch mounting six four pounders and ten swivels, and manned by seventy seamen and the other the Franklin of less force having sixty-five. The commodore hoisted his broad pendant on board the Lynch, and Selman commanded the latter. " These vessels were ordered to the river St. Lawrence to intercept an ammunition vessel bound to Quebec, but missing her, they took ten other vessels and Governor Wright of St. Johns, all of which were released, as we had waged a ministerial war and not one against our most gracious sovereign." Letter of E. Gerry to John Adams, dated Feb. 9, 1813. The form of commission issued by General Washington to the officers of the ves- sels fitted out by him, under authority of the continental congress, and the officers so commissioned, was as follows : By his excellency George Washington, Esq., commander-in-chief of the army of the To William Burke, Esq. United C lonieS ' By virtue of the powers and authorities to me given by the honorable contin- ental congress, I do hereby constitute and appoint you captain and commander of the schooner Warren now lying at Beverly port, in the service of the united colonies of North America, to have, hold, exercise, and enjoy the said office of captain and commander of the said vessel, and to perform and execute all matters and things which to your said office do, or may of right belong or appertain, until further order shall be given herein by the honorable continental congress, myself, or any fu- ture commander-in-chief of said army, willing and commanding all officers, soldiers, and persons whatsoever, any way concerned, to be obedient and assisting to you in the due execution of this commission. Given under my hand and seal, at Cambridge, this ist day of February , Annoque Domini, 1776. GEORGE WASHINGTON. By his excellency's command. To Captain William Burke, of the Warren. Officers of the armed vessels, fated out by order of General Washington, on the ist day of February, 1776. Hancock,. . . .John Manley, Captain and Com I January, 1776. Richard Stiles, ist Lieutenant, I January, 1776. Nicholas Ogilby, ... 2d Lieutenant, I January, 1776. Lee, Daniel Waters,. .... Captain, 20 January, 1777. William Kissick,. . . ist Lieutenant, 20 January, 1776. John Gill, 2d Lieutenant, 20 January, 1776. John Desmond, ..... Master, 20 Franklin, . . .Samuel Tucker,. . . . Captain, 20 _ Edward Phittiplace, . ist Lieutenant, 20 Francis Salter, 2d Lieutenant, 20 _ anuary, 1776. anuary, 1776. anuary, 1776. anuary, 1776. anuary, 1776. Harrison, . . . Charles Dyar, Captain, 20 Thomas Dote, ist Lieutenant, 23 January, 1776. John Wigglesworth,. 2d Lieutenant, 20 January, 1776. Lynch, John Ayres, Captain, 20 January, 1776. John Roche, ist Lieutenant, 20 January, 1776. John Tiley,. . , 2d Lieutenant, 20 January, 1776. Warren,. . . .William Burke, . . . Captain, I February, 1776. American Archives, 4th series, vol. iv, pp. 909, 910. 142 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE this is the flag of our floating batteries." Colonels Moylan and Glover replied the next day that as Broughton and Selman who sailed that morning had none but their old colors (probably the old English union ensign) they had appointed as the signal by which they could be known to their friends the ensign at the main topping lift. The suggestion of Col. Reed seems, however, to have been soon adopted. The London Chronicle for January, 1776, describ- ing the flag of a captured cruiser says : " There is in the admi- ralty office the flag of a provincial privateer. The field is white bunting. On the middle is a green pine tree, and upon the opposite side is the motto, *-An appeal to Heaven? " April, 1776, the Massachusetts council passed a series of resolutions pro- viding for the regulation of the sea service, among which was the following : "Resolved^ That the uniform of the officers be green and white, and that they furnish themselves accordingly, and that the colors be a white flag with a green pine tree and the inscription ' An appeal to Heaven.' '' According to the English newspapers, privateers throughout this year wearing a flag of this description were captured and carried into British ports. "Jan. 6, 1776, the Tartar, Capt. Meadows, arrived at Portsmouth, England, from Boston with over seventy men, the crew of an American privateer that mounted 10 guns taken by the Fowry man-of-war. Capt. Meadows likewise brought her colors, which are a pale green palm tree upon a white field with this motto : ' We appeal to Heaven.' " She was taken on the Massachusetts coast, cruising for transports and was sent out by the council of that province. Commodore Samuel Tucker, in a letter addressed to the Hon. John Holmes, dated March 6, iSiS, 1 says: " The first cruise I made was in Jan., 1776, in the schooner Franklin of 70 tons, equipped by order of Gen. Washington, and I had to purchase the small arms to encounter the enemy, with money from my own pocket or go without ; and my wife made the banner I fought under, the field of which was white, and the union green made therein in the figure of a pine tree, made of cloth of her own purchasing, at her own expense." 1 ShcparcTs Life of Commodore Tucker. PL. VI FLAGS OF 1775-76 . AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN 4 LIBERTY ScUNION 13' CUfFOHO'S LI7 H.BOSTON. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 143 Under these colors he captured the ship George and brig Arabella transports, having on board about two hundred and eighty Highland troops of Gen. Eraser's corps. "Halifax, Nova Scotia, June 10, 1776, on Sunday, arrived from off Boston, a privateer brig, called the Yankee Hero, Capt. Tracy. She was taken by the Milford frigate 28 guns, Capt. Burr, after an obstinate engagement, in which the captain of the privateer received a ball through his thigh, soon after which she struck. She is a fine vessel and mounts twelve carriage guns and six swivels. Her colors were a pine tree on a white field." Instances of the use of this pine tree flag from Oct., 1775, to July, 1776, could be multiplied. On the J3th of Sept., 1775, Col. Moultrie received an order from the council of safety for taking Fort Johnson on James island, S. C., 1 and a flag being thought necessary Col. Moultrie was requested to procure one by the council, and had a large blue flag made, with a crescent in the dexter corner to be uniform with the troops of the garrison who were clothed in blue and wore silver crescents in front of their caps, 2 inscribed " Liberty or Death." He said " this was the first American flag displayed in the south." When Moultrie hoisted this flag the timid people said it had the appearance of a declaration of war, and the captain of the Tamar, then being off Charleston, would look upon it as an insult and flag of defiance. A union flag had been displayed at Savannah the preceding June. 3 June 28, 1776, the standard advanced by Col. Moultrie on the south-east bastion of Fort Sullivan, or Moultrie as it was afterwards named on account of his gallant defence of it, was the same crescent flag with the word LIBERTY emblazoned upon it. 4 At the commencement of the action, the crescent flag that waved opposite the union flag upon the western bastion, fell upon the outside upon the beach. Sergeant Jasper leaped the parapet, walked the whole length of the fort, picked up the flag, fastened it on a sponge staff, and in the midst of the iron hail pouring upon the fortress, and in sight of the whole British fleet fixed the flag firmly upon the bastion. Three cheers greeted him as he leaped within the fort. On the day after the battle 1 Holmes $ Annals. 2 Col. M.oultrle's Memoirs of the Revolution, vol. I, p. 90. 8 See ante. * Bancroft's History of the United States. 144 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE Gov. Rutledge visited the fort, and rewarded Jasper for his valor by presenting him with his own small sword, which he was wearing, and thanked him in the name of his country. He offered him a lieutenant's commission, but Jasper who could neither read nor write declined it, saying " I am not fit to keep officers' company, I am but a sergeant." On the day after the battle the British fleet left Charleston harbor. The joy of the Americans was unbounded, and the following day (June 30) the wife of Major Bernard Elliot pre- sented Col. Moultrie's regiment with a pair of elegant colors, one of them was of fine blue silk, the other of fine red silk, both richly embroidered. They were afterwards planted on the walls of Savannah (Oct. 9, 1778), beside the lilies of France. Lieu- tenants Hume and Buck who carried them having "fallen, Lieu- tenant Gray of the S. C. regiment seized their standards, and kept them erect, until he was striken by a bullet, when brave Sergeant Jasper sprang forward, and had just fastened them on the parapet, when a rifle ball pierced him, and he fell into the ditch. He was carried to camp and soon after expired. Just before he died he said to Major Harry " Tell Mrs. Elliot I lost my life supporting the colors she gave to our regiment." 1 The declaration of independence was read by Major Elliot at Charleston, on the 5th Aug., 1776, to the people young and old and of both sexes assembled around liberty pole, with all the military of the city and vicinity, flags flying and drums beating. Among the flags were without doubt these standards presented by his wife. They were captured when Charleston surrendered, May 12, 1780, and were among the British trophies preserved in the Tower of London. The general congress, having previously appointed a com- mittee to prepare a plan, on the I3th of Oct., 1775, after some debate "Resolved, That a swift sailing vessel to carry the carriage guns and a proportionable number of swivels, with eighty men be fitted with all possible dispatch for a cruise of three months." * * * It was also " Resolved, That another vessel be fitted for the same purposes " and " that a marine committee consisting of Messrs. Dean, Langdon and Gadsden report their opinion of a 1 Lossing s Field Bookofthe Re-volution, vol. n, pp. 532, 551. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 145 proper vessel and also an estimate of the expense." On the I yth of Oct., the committee brought in their estimate and report, which after debate was recommitted, and on the 3Oth the com- mittee reported that the second vessel be of such a size as to carry fourteen guns and a proportionate number of swivels and men ; and it was further resolved that two more vessels be fitted out with all expedition j the one to carry not exceeding twenty guns, and the other not exceeding thirty-six guns with a pro- portionate number of swivels and men to be employed for the protection and defence of the United Colonies, as congress shall direct. Four new members were added to the committee, viz : Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Hewes, Mr. R. H. Lee and Mr. John Adams. 1 On the Qth of Nov., 1775, it was " Resolved, That two batta- lions of marines be raised, to be enlisted and commissioned to serve for and during the present war between Great Britain and the colonies, and to be considered as a part of the continental army of Boston, particular care to be taken, that no persons be appointed or enlisted into said battalions but such as are good seamen, or so acquainted with maritime affairs as to be able to serve to advantage by sea, when required." By a resolution of the 3Oth, they were ordered to be raised independent of the army ordered for service in Massachusetts. On the 23d of Nov., the naval committee reported rules for the government of the navy, which were adopted on the 28th. On the 2d of Dec., the committee were directed to prepare a proper commission for the captains and commanders of the ships of war in the service of the United Colonies, 2 and they reported one which was adopted the same day. On the Qth of Dec., congress established the pay of the navy, and on the nth of Dec., it was resolved that a committee be appointed to devise ways and means for furnishing these colonies with a naval arma- ment and report with convenient speed. It was also resolved that this committee consist of a member from each colony, viz : Mr. Bartlett, Mr. S. Adams, Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Deane, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Crane, Mr. Morris, Mr. Read, Mr. Paca, Mr. R. A. Lee, Mr. Hewes, and Mr. Gadsden. 1 Journal of Congress, vol. I, p. 2,04. 19 146 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE On the 1 3th, this committee reported, and it was resolved that five ships of thirty-two guns five of twenty-eight guns, three of twenty- four guns, can be fitted for sea probably by the last of March next, viz : " in New Hampshire, one ; in Massa- chusetts, two ; in Connecticut, one ; in Rhode Island, two ; in New York, two ; in Peru, four ; in Maryland, one." The probable cost of these vessels was estimated at $866, 666|. The next day the same committee, Mr. Chase being substituted for Mr. Paca, was appointed to carry out the report. It will be seen, these provisions for a continental navy were prior to the resolutions of the Massachusetts council, April, 1776, providing a green uniform and the pine tree flag for her state marine ; but we do not learn from these resolves that any provision was made for a national flag for this newly created navy of the United Colonies. John Jay, in a letter dated July, 1776, three months later, states congress had made no order at that date, u concerning continental colors, and that captains of the armed vessels had followed their own fancies." He names as one device, a rattle- snake rearing its crest and shaking its rattles and having the motto : " Don't tread on me." De Benvouloir, the discreet emissary of Vergennes, who arrived in Philadelphia the latter part of 1775, just after con- gress had ordered the thirteen ships of war, reports to the French minister : " They have given up the English flag and have taken for their devices a rattlesnake with thirteen rattles and a mailed arm holding thirteen arrows." The London Chronicle^ July 27, 1776, says: "The colors of the American fleet have a snake with thirteen rattles, the fourteenth budding, described in the attitude of going to strike, with this motto : ' Don't tread on me.' ' The number thirteen, representative of the number of colonies, seems to have been constantly in mind, thus thirteen vessels are ordered to be built, thirteen stripes are placed on the flag, thirteen arrows are grasped in a mailed hand, thirteen rattles on the rattlesnake, and later thirteen arrows in the talons of the eagle. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 147 The device of a rattlesnake was a favorite one with the colonists, and its origin as an American emblem deserves inves- tigation, as a curious feature in our national history. 1 "It is not at all improbable that the choice of this reptile, as a representative of the colonies, had attained a firm position in the regard of the colonists long before difficulties with Great Britain were anticipated. As early as April, 1751, an account of the trial of Samuel Sanders, an English transported convict, for the murder of Simon Gerty, occasioned the following reflections, which were published in Franklin's paper, the Pennsylvania Gazette : " ' When we see our papers filled continually with accounts of the most audacious robberies, the most cruel murders, and an infinity of other villainies perpetrated by convicts transported from Europe, what melan- choly, what terrible reflections, must it occasion ! What will become our position ? These are some of thy favors, Britain, and thou art called the mother country ? But what good mother ever sent thieves and villains to accompany her children, to corrupt some with infectious vices and murder the rest ? What father ever endeavors to spread plague in his own family ? We don't ask fish, but tbou givest us serpents, and worse than serpents, in which Britain shows a more sovereign contempt for us than by emptying her jails into our settlements. What must we think of that board which has advocated the repeal of every law that we have hitherto made to prevent this deluge of wickedness from overwhelming us ? and with this cruel sarcasm : that those laws were against the public utility, for they tended to prevent the improvement and well-peopling of the colonies. And what must we think of those merchants who, for the sake of a little paltry gain, will be concerned in importing and disposing of such cargoes ? ' " This remonstrance, certainly a bold one for the time, was commented upon in a succeeding number of the same Gazette, by a writer who proposed that the colonists should send to Eng- land in return ' a cargo of rattlesnakes, which should be dis- tributed in St. James's Park, Spring Garden, and other places of pleasure, and particularly in noblemen's gardens.' He adds : 1 The account following is derived in part from an article printed in the Phila. Sunday Dispatch, 1871. 148 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE " ' Let no private interests obstruct public utility. Our mother knows what is best for us. What is a little housebreaking, shoplifting, or high- way robbery ? What is a son now and then corrupted and hanged, a daughter debauched, a wife stabbed, a husband's throat cut, or a child's brains beat out with an axe, compared with ' the improvement and well- peopling of the colonies ? ' " This idea of rendering the rattlesnake a means of retribution for the wrongs of America could scarcely have been forgotten, and received a new value three years afterwards, when, to stimu- late the colonies to a concert of measures against the Indians, the device of a snake cut into eight parts, representing the colonies then engaged in the war against the French and Indians, was published at the head of the Gazette with the motto, l Join or die.' This device was adopted by other newspapers in the colonies, and in 1775 it was placed at the head of the Pennsylvania 'Journal, the head representing New England, and the other disjointed portions being marked Snake Device with the initlals > N ' Y '> N J' P > M '> V., N. C., S. C., and G. The motto then was, ' Unite or die.' These matters may have kept the rattlesnake in the memory of the provincials, and may have led to its early adoption. " Bradford's Pennsylvania Journal of December 27, 1775, con- tains the following remarkable speculations upon the reasons for the adoption of this emblem. This composition has been ascribed to Dr. Franklin, without any very good cause. The journal in which it was published was one with which Dr. Franklin was not friendly. He would have been most likely to have sent his communication to the Gazette, which was still partly owned by his old partner, David Hall. " ' Messrs. Printers : I observed on one of the drums belonging to the marines, now raising, there was painted a rattlesnake, with this modest motto under it, ' Don't tread on me ! ' As I know it is the custom to have some device on the arms of every country, I supposed this might be intended for the arms of North America. As I have nothing to do with public affairs, and as my time is perfectly my own, in order to divert an "UNITE ORDIE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 149 idle hour I sat down to guess what might have been intended by this un- common device. I took care, however, to consult on this occasion a person acquainted with heraldry, from whom I learned that it is a rule among the learned in that science that the worthy properties of an animal in a crest shall be considered, and that the base ones cannot have been intended. He likewise informed me that the ancients considered the serpent as an emblem of wisdom, and, in a certain attitude,, of endless duration j both which circumstances, I suppose, may have been in view. Having gained this intelligence, and recollecting that countries are some- times represented by animals peculiar to them, it occurred to me that the rattlesnake is found in no other quarter of the globe than America, and it may therefore have been chosen on that account to represent her. But then the worthy properties of a snake, I judged, would be hard to point out. This rather raised than suppressed my curiosity, and having frequently seen the rattlesnake, I ran over in my mind every property for which she was distinguished, not only from other animals, but from those of the same genus or class, endeavoring to fix some meaning to each not wholly inconsistent with common sense. I recollected that her eye ex- ceeded in brightness that of any other animal, and that she had no eye- lids. She may therefore be esteemed an emblem of vigilance. She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders. She is there- fore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage. As if anxious to pre- vent all pretensions of quarreling with the weapons which nature favored her, she conceals them in the roof of her mouth, so that, to those who are unacquainted with her, she appears most defenceless ; and, even when those weapons are shown and extended for defence, they appear weak and contemptible ; but their wounds, however small, are decisive and fatal. Conscious of this, she never wounds until she has generously given notice even to her enemy, and cautioned him against the danger of tread- ing on her. Was I wrong, sirs, in thinking this a strong picture of the temper and conduct of America ? " ' The poison of her teeth is the necessary means of digesting her food, and, at the same time, is the certain destruction of her enemies. This may be nderstood to intimate that those things which are destructive to our enemies may be to us not only harmless, but absolutely necessary to our existence. I confess I was totally at a loss what to make of the rat- tles until I went back and counted them, and found them just thirteen exactly the number of colonies united in America ; and I recollected, too, that this was the only part of the snake which increased in numbers. Perhaps it may have only been my fancy, but I conceited the painter had shown a half-formed additional rattle, which I suppose may have been 150 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE intended to represent the province of Canada. 'Tis curious and amazing to observe how distinct and independent of each other the rattles of this animal are, and yet how firmly they are united together so as to be never separated except by breaking them to pieces. One of these rattles, singly, is incapable of producing sound ; but the ringing of thirteen together is sufficient to alarm the boldest man living. The rattlesnake is solitary, and associates with her kind only when it is necessary for her preserva- tion. In winter the warmth of a number together will preserve their lives, whilst singly they would probably perish. The power of fascina- tion attributed to her by a generous construction may be understood to mean that those who consider the liberty and blessings which America affords, and once come over to her, never afterwards leave her, but spend their lives with her. She strongly resembles America in this; that she is beautiful in youth, and her beauty increases with age ; her tongue also is blue and forked as lightning, and her abode is among impenetrable rocks. ' ' Having pleased myself with reflections of this kind, I communicated my sentiments to a neighbor of mine who has a surprising readiness at guessing anything which relates to public affairs ; and, indeed, I should be jealous of his reputation in that way, were it not that the event con- stantly shows that he has guessed wrong. He instantly declared it his sentiment that congress meant to allude to Lord North's declaration in the house of commons that he never would relax his measures until he had brought America to his feet, and to intimate to his lordship that if she was brought to his feet it would be dangerous treading on her. But I am positive he has guessed wrong, for I am sure congress would not, at this time of day, condescend to take the least notice of his lordship in that or any other way. In which opinion I am determined to remain your humble servant. ' Col. Gadsden, who was one of the marine committee, pre- sented to congress on the 8th of Feb., 1776, "an elegant stand- ard, such as is to be used by the commander in chief of the American navy ; being a yellow flag with a lively representation of a rattlesnake in the middle in the attitude of going to strike, and these words underneath, ' Don't tread on me.' Congress ordered that the said standard be carefully preserved and sus- pended in the congress room." It would be interesting to know the further history of this flag. We have shown that the first legislation of congress on the subject of a federal navy was in Oct., 1775, and that after FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 151 that national cruisers were equipped and sent to sea on a three months' cruise ; but so far as we can learn, without any provi- sion for a national ensign, and probably wearing the colors of the state they sailed from. Before the close of the year, congress as we have seen had authorized a regular navy of seventeen vessels varying in force from ten to thirty-two guns, had established a general prize law in consequence of the burning of Falmouth by Mowatt, had regulated the relative rank of military and naval officers, and had established the pay of the navy and appointed Dec. 22, 1775, Esek Hopkins, commander in chief of the naval forces of the embryo republic, fixing his pay at 125 dollars a month. At the same time captains were commissioned to the Alfred, Columbus, Andrea Doria, Cabot and Providence, 1 and first, second and third lieutenants were appointed to each of those vessels. The Alfred was a stout merchant ship originally called the Black Piince, and commanded by J. Barry. She arrived at Philadelphia on the I3th of Oct., and was purchased and armed by the committee. The Columbus, originally the Sally, was first purchased by the committee of safety of Penn- sylvania, and ten days after sold to the naval committees of congress. The merchant names of the other ships I have been unable to ascertain. Notwithstanding the equipping of this fleet, the necessity of a common national flag seems not to have been thought of, until Doctor Franklin, Mr. Lynch, and Mr. Harrison were appointed to consider the subject and assembled at the camp at Cambridge. The result of their conference was the retention of the king's colors or union jack representing the yet recognized sovereignty of England, but coupled to thirteen stripes alternate red and white emblematic of the union of the thirteen colonies against its tyranny and oppression, in place of the hitherto loyal red ensign. 1 John Adams, who was a member of the marine committee of congress, gives the following reasons for the choice of these names : " This committee soon purchased and fitted five vessels. The first was named Alfred, in honor of the founder of the greatest navy that ever existed. The second, Columbus, after the discoverer of this quarter of the globe. The third, Cabot, for the discoverer of the northern part of this continent. The fourth, Andrew Doria, in honor of the great Genoese admiral ; and the fifth, Providence, for the name of the town where she was purchased, the residence of Governor Hopkins and his brother Esek, whom we appointed the first captain." 152 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE The new striped flag was hoisted for the first time on the ist or 2d of January, 1776, over the camp at Cambridge. Gen. Washington, writing to Joseph Reed on the 4th of January, says : " We are at length favored with the sight of his majesty's most gracious speech breathing sentiments of tenderness and com- passion for his deluded American subjects ; the speech I send you (a volume of them was sent out by the Boston gentry), and farcical enough we gave great joy to them without knowing or intending it, for on that day (the 2d) which gave being to our new army ; but before the proclamation came to hand we hoisted the union flag in compliment to the United Colonies. But be- hold it was received at Boston as a token of the deep impression the speech had made upon us, and as a signal of submission. By this time I presume they begin to think it strange that we have not made a formal surrender of our lines." An anonymous letter, written under date Jan. 2, 1776, says : " The grand union flag of thirteen stripes was raised on a height near Boston. The regulars did not understand it, and as the king's speech had just been read as they supposed, they thought the new flag was a token of submission." The captain of a British transport writing from Boston to his owners in London, Jan. 17, 1776, says, "I can see the rebels' camp very plain, whose colors, a little while ago were entirely red ; but on the receipt of the king's speech, which they burnt, they hoisted the union flag, which is here supposed to intimate the union of the provinces." The British Annual Register says, " They burnt the king's speech, and changed their colors from a plain red ground, which they had hitherto used, to a flag with thirteen stripes as a symbol of the union and number of the colonies. A letter from Boston in the Pennsylvania Gazette, says : " the grand union flag was raised on the 2d, in compliment to the United Colonies," a British lieutenant writing from Charleston Heights, Jan. 25, 1776, mentions the same fact and adds " It was saluted with thirteen guns and thirteen cheers." Botta, in his History of the American Revolution, derived from contemporary documents, writes thus: "The hostile speech of the king at the meeting of parliament had arrived in America, PL. VII THE GRAND UNION FLAG". 1776. FAC SIMILE Of THE FLAG OFTHE SCHOONER ROYAL SAVAGE. DRAWN IK/ JULY T776\ ^ .F.1CM *-// ORIGINAL FOUND BY B. J. L0SJ/M6 . , IN rwr PAPfK?. BUFFO RD'S LITH. BOSTON. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 153 and copies of it were circulated in the camp. It was announced there also that the first petition of congress had been rejected. The whole army manifested the utmost indignation at this in- telligence, the royal speech was burnt in public by the infuriated soldiers. They changed at this time, the red ground of their banners, and striped them with thirteen lists, as an emblem of their number, and the union of the colonies." We have here contemporary evidence enough as to the time and place when " the grand union striped flag," was first un- furled, but it will be observed there is nowhere mention of the color of the stripes that were placed on the previously red flag, or the character of its union, or other than presumptive evidence that it had a union. Bancroft, in his recent History of the United States, describes this flag as " the tricolored American banner, not yet spangled with stars, but showing thirteen stripes alternate red and white in the field, and the united crosses of St. George and St. Andrew, on a blue ground in the corner ;" but he fails to furnish his au- thority for this statement. Fortunately we are able to furnish corroborative evidence of his being correct. Since the publica- tion of Bancroft's History, Mr. Benson J. Lossing, the eminent American historian, has found among the papers of Major Gen. Philip Schuyler, and has in his possession, a water-color sketch of the Royal Savage, one of the little fleet on Lake Champlain, in the summer and winter of 1776, commanded by Benedict Arnold. This drawing is known to be the Royal Savage from its being endorsed in the hand writing of General Schuyler as Captain Wynkoop's schooner, and Captain or rather Colonel Wynkoop is known to have commanded her at that time. There is no date on the drawing, but nevertheless it may be con- sidered as settling what were all the characteristic features of the new flag. At the head of the main topmast of the schooner, there is a flag precisely like the one described by Bancroft, and it is the only known contemporaneous drawing of it extant. Through the kindness of Mr. Lossing I am able to give a facsimile in size, form and color from the original of this interesting drawing. 1 (Plate VII). 1 Mr. Lossing informs me in his forthcoming life of Schuyler, he intends repro- ducing a fac simile drawing of the whole schooner. 20 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE In Gen. Arnold's sailing orders for the fleet, he prescribes the ensign at the main topmast head as the signal for speaking with the whole fleet. The same at the fore for chasing a sail. The old red union ensign had been familiarly known for nearly seventy years, and nothing could be more natural, or likely to suggest itself to a people not yet prepared to sever en- tirely their connection with the parent government, than to utilize the old flag and distinguish in this simple manner, this emblem of the new union, from the old, rather than seek further for new devices. The flag adopted closely resembled, if it was not exactly like the flag of the English East India Company then in use, and which continued to be the flag of that company with but trifling variation, until its sovereign sway and empire in the east, exer- cised for over two hundred years, was in 1834 merged in that of Great Britain. 1 1 THE EAST INDIA COMPANY'S ENSIGNS. This com pany, whose first charter was granted Dec. 31, 1600, by Queen Elizabeth to " George, Earl of Cumberland, and 215 knights, aldermen and merchants, that at their own costs and charges might set forth one or more voyages to the East Indias," &c., bore as a crest to their armorial ensigns, a sphere without a frame bound with a zodiac in bend or, between two split florant argents, each charged with a cross gules ; on the sphere the words Deus indicet on the shield with other devices were three ships rigged under full sail, pennants and en- sign being argent, and each charged with the same cross gules. The pennants were long tapering and split at the end while the ensigns were perfectly square. That the East India Company were entitled to bear on their ships any particular distinguishing flag in the early years of its history does not seem probable since we read that a royal proclamation of James I, was issued April 12, 1606, ordering all subjects of the isle and kingdom of Great Britain, and the members thereof to bear in their maintop the union flag, being the red cross of St. George and the white cross (saltiere) of St. Andrew, joined upon a blue ground according to a form made by our heralds, and sent by us to our admiral to be published to our said subjects." At what time the striped flag was adopted by the East India Company is not evi- dent. A contemporary print preserved in the British Museum representing the Puritans in 1644, under Sir Robert Harlow or Harley, destroying the cross in Cheapside, depicts several flags, one of which bears two red stripes on a white field, and the St. George's cross on a white canton which extends over the first two stripes. In 1 68 1, the renewal of the charter of the company by Charles II, vested in it the power and authority to make peace or war with any nation not being Christians, and six years later it was ordered the king's union flag should be always used at the Fort St. George. Flag destroyed at j n 1698, a new company was established by act of par- Cheapside, 1644. liament, which soon however became incorporated with the former. Its arms were argent a cross gules in the dexter chief quarter, an escutcheon of the arms of France and England quarterly, FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 155 THE GRAND UNION OR CONTINENTAL FLAG OF THE UNITED COLONIES. 1776-1777. It has been conjectured the idea of the stripes as a symbol of union may have been derived from the flag of the Netherlands, adopted for the national ensign as early* as 1582, and which then as now consisted of three equal horizontal stripes symbolic of the rise of the Dutch republic from the union at Utrecht. 1 The stripes of this flag at first were orange, white and blue, the orange in chief. In 1650, after the death of William II, a red stripe was substituted for the orange, and the flag so remains crest, two lions rampant, gardant or, each supporting a banner crest argent, charged with a cross gules. The Present State of the Universe, 4th edition, London, 1704, by J. Beaumont, Jr., gives as the East India Company's ensign, a flag with thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white, with a St. George's cross on a white canton which rests upon the fourth red stripe. East India Company, 1834. East India Company's Ensign, 1704. In the Dominion and La-ws of the Sea published in London in 1705, the East India Company's flag is pictured with but ten stripes. In a Dutch work on ship building by Carl Allard published in Amsterdam the same year, the East India Company's flag has but nine stripes. 1 A correspondent of London Notes and Queries, vol. xn, ad series, 1861, writes : He has a French work on flags published 1737, which describes ist. Pavilion de Nouvelle Angleterre in Amerique^ as azure on a canton argent, the red cross of St. George having a globe in the first quarter [see ante.] zd. A DUTCH FLAG " Deucbese en Norte Hollandc," which has thirteen stripes, fellow and red. 3d. " Pavilion de Rangon de Division d'escadre " [English] has thirteen stripes, red and "white with St. George's cross in a canton argent. 4th. The East India Co.'s flag has nine stripes red and white with the canton and cross like number 3. On the left hand corner of the membership certificate of the society of the Cincin- 156 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE without other change to this day. Hudson, the first to display a European flag on the waters of New York and explorer of the river that bears his name, sailed up the river in 1609, under the Dutch East India flag, which was the same as above described, with the addition of the letters A. O. C. Algemeene Oost Indlse Compagnie, in the centre of the white stripe. This was the flag of the colony of Manhattan established under the auspices of the DutchEastlndiaCompany, until 1622. When the government fell into the hands of the Dutch West India Com- pany the letters G. W. C. (Geoctroyeerde West-Indische Compagnie), were put Dutch East India Flag. . , , . . . , r u i in the white stripe in place or the let- ters A. O. C. This was the dominant flag (with the change of the orange stripe for a red one in 1650), until 1664, when the island was surrendered to the English, and the union jack of England supplanted the tri-color of Holland, and the name of New Amsterdam was changed to New York. 1 "From Holland," argues a writer on the subject, " came the emigrants who first planted the seeds of civil and religious liberty and popular education in the empire state, and from Holland more than any other land came the ideas of a federal union, 2 which binds together the American states. From Holland whither persecution had driven them, also embarked the Pilgrim fathers nati, issued in 1785, there is represented a strong armed man, bearing in one hand a union flag, and in the other a naked sword. Beneath his feet are British flags, a broken spear, shield and chain. Hovering by his side is the eagle, our national emblem from whose talons the lightning of destruction is flashing upon the British lion, and Bri- tannia with the crown falling from her head is hastening to make her escape in a boat to the fleet. The union flag of this certificate is composed of thirteen alternate red and "white stripes and a ivAite union in which is painted the present arms of the United States adopted three years previous, in 1782. A flag of this kind may have been in use in the army earlier. 1 Valentine's Manual Common Council, N. 7"., 1863. In the month of July, 1673, the Dutch again took possession of the city, which they occupied until Nov. 10, 1674, when by virtue of a treaty of peace between England and Holland, the English color, the cross of St. George, was rehoisted over the city. 2 The united provinces of the Netherlands on their independence devised for their standard the appropriate device of the national lion of Flanders [rampant gu], borne by the counts from the nth century, grasping in his paws a sheaf of seven arrows or, to denote the seven provinces, and a naked sword. The shield of the arms, was azure billetee, and the whole achievement was charged upon the white of the flag. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 157 to land upon our winter-swept and storm and rock-bound coast. The rights for which Holland so long struggled, so ably por- trayed by our Motley in his History of the Rise of the Dutch Re- public^ are identical with those which the old thirteen colonies so successfully maintained. What more likely then," continues this reasoner, " that in adopting a device for a union flag our fathers should derive the idea from a country to whose example they were already so much indebted." A more common place origin for the stripes has been suggested by a recent writer. The continental army of 1775 was without uniforms, and the different grades were distinguished by means of a stripe or ribbon. The writer thinks that the daily view of these, the only distinguishing marks of rank, would naturally suggest the same device for representing the United Colonies. 1 Without wandering far seeking for the origin of the stripes upon our flag, it may have been that the stripes on his own escutch- eon suggested them to the mind of Washington. They seem also to have been one of the devices on the flag of the Phila- delphia troop of light horse, which accompanied Washington from Philadelphia to New York, when proceeding to assume command of the army at Cambridge, where they were first shown ; and, it is possible, these stripes, or lists as they were sometimes called, were adopted as an easy expedient for convert- ing the ensigns of the mother country by an economical method into a new flag, representing the union of the American colonies against the ministerial oppression, when they were not yet quite 1 Sarmiento's History of our Flag, 1864. The orders to which he refers are to be found in American Archives, 4th Series, vol. n, p. 1738, viz : Head Quarters, Cambridge, July 23, 1775. Parole, Brunswick. Countersign, Princeton. As the continental army have, unfortunately, no uniforms, and consequently many inconveniences must arise from not being able always to distinguish the commissioned officers from the non-commissioned and the non-commissioned from the privates, it is desired that some badges of distinction may be immediately provided ; for instance, the field officers may have red or pink cockades in their hats, the captains yellow or buff and the subalterons green. They are to furnish themselves accordingly. The sergeants may be distinguished by an epaulette or stripe of red cloth sewed upon the right shoulder ; the corporals by one of green." Head Quarters, Cambridge, July 24, 1775. Parole, Salisbury. Countersign, Cumberland. It being thought proper to distinguish the majors from brigadiers general by some particular mark, for the future major generals will wear a broad purple ribbon. 158 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE ready to give up their loyalty to the king's colors which the new ensign retained. It required the after addition of the "new constellation" to render them significant, and to give a poetic life and character to the flag. When the Virginia convention at Williamsburg instructed its delegates in congress, May 15, 1776, three weeks before the declaration of independence, " to declare the United Colonies free and independent states absolved from all allegiance to dependence upon the crown and parliament of England, and to propose a confederation of the colonies," there was a great civil and military parade, when, according to an eye witness, " the union flag of the American states," waved upon the Capitol during the whole ceremony. 1 This could have been no other than the flag in- augurated by Washington at his camp at Cambridge in January. July, 1776, a committee consisting of Generals Sullivan and Greene, and Lord Stirling was appointed to devise a system of signals to be hoisted on the Highlands of Neversink, to give the earliest intelligence of the enemy's approach. They proposed, that for any number of ships from I to 6, and from 6 to 22, and for any greater number three large ensigns with broad stripes of red and white should be hoisted. 2 Col. Rud. Ritzema, addressing some members of the New York congress under date New York, May 31, 1776, says that the day before, it was given out in general orders, that Gen. Put- nam had received a letter from General Washington requesting all the colonels at New York to immediately provide colors for their several regiments, and he asks that Mr. Curtinius may have directions to provide a pair for his regiment of such a color and with such devices as shall be deemed proper by the con- gress p.*., New York Prov. congress.] 3 1 Niles^s American Re-volution, pp. 251, 232. The toasts at the soldiers' banquet were: ist, the American independent states 5 2d, the grand congress of the United States, and their respective legislatures ; 3d, General Washington and victory to the American arms. These toasts were accompanied by salutes of artillery andy> de joy of small arms. 3 Life of Gen. Nathaniel Greene, vol. I . 3 American Archives, 4th series, vol. vi, page 634, and on page 637 is given the order he refers to, viz : "After Orders, May 31, 1776. " General Washington has written to General Putnam desiring him in the most pressing terms, to give positive orders to all the colonels to have colors immediately completed for their respective regiments." FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 159 It has been shown that the first legislation of the continental con- gress on the subject of a federal navy was on the i8th of Oct., 1775, and that national cruisers were about that time equipped and sent to sea on a three months' cruise under the pine tree flag, but without any provision for a national ensign. Before the close of the year and before the grand union flag raising at Cambridge, a regular navy of seventeen vessels varying in force from ten to thirty-two guns, was ordered, a general prize law established, the relative rank of military and naval officers regu- lated, and Esek Hopkins, Esq., appointed commander in chief of the naval forces of the embryo republic. At the same time J captains were commissioned for the purchased vessels, Alfred, Columbus, 2 Andrea Doria, Cabot and Providence, and first, second and third lieutenants appointed to each of those vessels. Under the same law, the pay of the commander in chief of the fleet was fixed at one hundred and twenty-five dollars a month. Such was the humble beginning of a national naval organization. Cruisers armed and equipped by, and holding commissions from the several colonies had been fitted and continued to be sent our for some time after under their colonial or state flags, and probably continued to fly them until the close of the war. 3 Senior of the five first lieutenants of the new continental navy, stood John Paul Jones (as he chose to be called) who was com- missioned to the Alfred, then in the Delaware, designed to be the flag ship of the commander-in-chief Esek Hopkins, and of which Dudley Saltonstall, Esq., was the captain. 1 Dec. 22, 1775. 8 The Columbus was a merchant ship, originally named the Sally. Wcstcott't History of Philadelphia. 3 Throughout Oct., 1776, the navy board of South Carolina made various provi- sions for a state navy, and commissioned officers for it and vessels. Am. Archives, pp. 1323-29, vol. n, 5th series. June 29, 1776, an ordinance passed the Virginia convention establishing a board of commissioners to superintend and direct the naval affairs of that colony. Am. Archives, vol. vi, p. 1598. April, 1776, the Massachusetts council passed a series of resolutions providing for the regulation of the sea service, among them was the following : " Resolved, That the uniform of the officers be green and white, and that they furnish themselves accordingly and that the colors be a white flag with a green pine tree and the inscription 'An appeal to Heaven.' " The floating batteries of Pennsylvania, in the Delaware, carried the same flag in the autumn of 1775. According to the English newspapers, privateers throughout the year 1776, wearing a flag of this description were captured and carried into British ports. The Yankee Hero was captured under these colors in June. Commodore 160 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE Paul Jones has recorded that the FLAG OF AMERICA was hoisted by him, " by hisjiwn band^J- on board the Alfred, 2 and adds, " being the first time it was ever displayed by a regular man- of-war." From this we infer it is possible it may have been pre- viously displayed by some of the state cruisers. Jones's com- mission is dated the yth of December, but as the flag is said to have been hoisted for the first time when the commander-in-chief Tucker has related that he hoisted them on the Franklin (one of the two schooners equipped by Washington) in Jan., 1776, and captured the ship George and brig Arabella. Dec. 21, 1775. The province of North Carolina authorized three armed vessels to be fitted out with all dispatch for the protection of the trade of that province. Nov. u, 1775. The South Carolina colony schooner Defence proceeding to sink some hulks in Hog island creek, Charleston harbor, was fired at by the king's ships Tamar of sixteen, and Cherokee of six guns. Fort Johnson discharged some 26 pounders at the king's ships. Nov. 14, 1775. Clement Lempriere was appointed captain of the ship Prosper, fitting and arming for South Carolina, and other officers were appointed to her. Dec. 2.0, 1775. A committee was appointed by the New York Provincial Con- gress to purchase and equip a proper vessel for the defence of the East river her cost not to exceed 600. Jan. 22, 1776. The committee of safety of the provincial congress of New York, write to the delegates from New York to the continental congress, that they are informed by one of those delegates that the continental congress will take into the continental service the sloop Sally purchased Dec. 20, by Col. McDougall for the defence of the colony for 325 and request, "Should it so be determined her flag should be described to them," showing that at that time the New York committee of safety were not informed what the continental flag was. Am. Archives, vol. iv, 4th series. June 29, 1776. An ordinance passed the Virginia convention establishing a board of commissioners to superintend and direct the naval affairs of that colony, the ordinance is published in full in Am. Archives, vol. vi, 4th series. Philadelphia, June 6, 1776. Two privateers belonging to this port have taken three very valuable ships bound from Jamaica to London, laden with rum, sugar, mo- lasses, etc., having also a large quantity of dollars and plate on board. We hear that on board of the above ships, there were several very fine sea turtles intended as a present to Lord North, one of which with his lordship's name nicely cut in the shell, was yesterday presented by the captain to the worthy president of the American congress. STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY TO JOHN CLONSTON, COMMANDER OF THE SLOOP FREEDOM, in the service of said state. You are hereby directed and commanded to repair, with the vessel under your command, to the harbor of Boston, in company with the sloop Republick commanded by John Foster Williams, now in Dartmouth, and there to await the further orders of the council. By order of the major part of the council, the 4th of September, 1776. SAMUEL ADAMS, Secretary. Returns of officers on board the armed sloop called the FREEDOM whereof JOHN CLONSTON is commander : John Clonston, captain, James Scott, first lieutenant, Timothy Tobey, second lieutenant. In council, September 4, 1776, read and ordered that the above officers be commissioned agreeably to their respective rank. SAMUEL ADAMS, Secretary. 1 Mackenzie's Life ofj. Paul Jones, vol. I, p. 22. J. F. Cooper's Life of Jones, y. 17. Emmons, U. S. Navy, 17751853. Sands' s Life of Jones, p. 33, who adds " he does not mention the date of this transaction nor has the present compiler been able to fix it." 2 All the commissions for the Alfred were made out before those for the Columbus. Sands*s Life of Jones, p. 35. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. embarked on the Alfred, and his commission was not issued until the 22d of Dec., it would seem probable that either Christ- mas or New Year's day would be selected for its display. The latter would bring its hoisting to same date as the raising of the union flag in the lines of the army at Cambridge. 1 The Alfred, for which the high honor of being the first to wear the flag of A rfi erica, as well as the standard or flag of the first naval commander-in-chief is claimed, was originally a merchant vessel called the Black Prince. She arrived at Philadelphia from Lon- don under the command of Capt. Barry, Oct. 13,* and was pur- chased and armed by the committee. According to our present ideas, she was but a small ship, though considered a stout vessel of her class at that time, mounting 20 nine-pounders on her main deck and from one to two guns on her quarter deck and forecastle. When captured in 1778, by H. B. M. ships, Ariadne and Ceres, her captors reported her as mounting twenty nine- pounders and having no spar deck battery. The weight of shot thrown from her entire battery or both broadsides was not equal to the weight of a single solid shot thrown by one of our modern 1 Could the log-book of the Alfred referred to in the following letter be found, the precise date when Jones hoisted the flag of America would be known. Captain Jones to Colonel Tilling/last. Sloop Providence, June 20, 1776. SIR : I have made so many unsuccessful attempts to convey the Fly past Fisher's Island, that I have determined to give it up, and pursue my orders for Boston. When I arrive there I will transmit you my letter of attorney ; in the mean time you will singularly oblige me by applying to the admiral for an order to receive for me a copy of the Alfred's log-book, which I had made out for my private use before I left the ship, and which was unjustly withheld from me when I took command of the sloop, by the ill-natured and narrow-minded Captain Saltonstall. When the old gentleman was down here he promised to order that my copy should be delivered, but when my lieutenant applied for it, the master of the Alfred told the admiral a cursed lie, and said there was no copy made out. On inquiry you will find that Mr. Vaughn, the mate of the Alfred, made out the copy in question for me before I went to New Tork. I should not be so particular, did I not stand in absolute need of it before I can make out a fair copy of my Journal to lay before the Congress, for I was so stinted in point of time in the Alfred, that I did not copy a single remark ; besides, it is a little hard that I, who planned and superintended the log-book, should not be thought worthy a copy, when a midshipman, if he pleases, may claim one. I cake it for granted that you will receive the book ; I must therefore beg you to send it, if possible, to me at Mr. John Head's or Captain J. Bradford's, Boston. Regard not the expense, I will cheerfully pay it. 1 am, sir, with esteem, your obliged and very humble servant. J. PAUL JONES. American Archives, 4th series, vol. VI, page 980. 2 The Black Prince, Campbell, arrived at Falmouth from Philadelphia, Oct. 31, 1775. Boston Gazette, Feb. 3, 1776. Either this was another ship of the same name, which is unlikely, or there is a mistake of dates. 21 162 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE monitors. Such has been the changes in naval warfare within a hundred years. I have said that it is probable that Christmas or New Year's day was selected for hoisting the flag of America, but there is evidence to prove that it, or at least a continental flag, was hoisted over the Alfred as early as the 3d of Dec., before any of the officers of our infant navy had been commissioned. A letter addressed to the Earl of Dartmouth and dated Maryland, Dec. 20, 1775, says: tc Their harbors by spring will swarm with privateers : an admiral is appointed, a court established, and on the 3d inst. [Dec.] the continental flag on board the Black Prince opposite Philadelphia was hoisted. 1 " Another letter addressed to a friend in England says : " The Black Prince, a fine vessel, carries a flag and mounts from 20 to 30 twelve and sixteen-pounders, besides swivels, and fights mostly underdeck." It is not known with certainty what flag Jones calls the flag of America, though there are several reasons for supposing it the grand union flag of thirteen stripes displayed at Cambridge, and identical with the union flag displayed by the Virginia convention the following May. In the day signals for the fleet given to the several captains in the fleet, as sailing from the capes of Delaware, Feb. 17, 1776, the signal for the Providence to chase was, a " St. George's ensign with stripes at the mizzen peak." For a general attack, or the whole fleet to engage, " the standard at the maintop mast- head with the striped jack, and ensign, at their proper places." The standard was probably the rattlesnake flag mentioned else- where. The striped jack may have been a flag of thirteen stripes with a rattlesnake undulating upon it. 2 A contemporary account says that in the succeeding February, Admiral Hopkins sailed from Philadelphia with the American 1 See letter, signed B. P., Niles's American Re-volution, Baltimore, 1822, p. 541. 2 The following are these orders in full, taken from American Archives, 4th series, vol. i\, page 179, etc. They are undoubtedly the first signals used by our navy : ORDERS GIVEN THE SEVERAL CAPTAINS IN THE FLEET AT SAILING FROM THE CAPES OF THE DELAWARE, FEB. 17, 1776. SIR. You are hereby ordered to keep company with me, if possible, and truly observe the signals given by the ship I am in j but in case you should be separated in a gale of wind or otherwise, you then are to use all possible means to join the fleet as soon as possible 5 but if you cannot, in four days after you leave the fleet, you are to make the best of your way to the southern part of Abacco (one of the Ba- hama islands) and there wait for the fleet fourteen days. But if the fleet does not FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 163 fleet " amidst the acclamations of thousands assembled on the joyful occasion, under the display of the union flag, with thirteen stripes in the field emblematical of the thirteen United Colonies." The first achievement of this squadron was the capture of New Providence, and a writer from thence to the London Ladies join you in that time, you are to cruise in such places as you think will most annoy the enemy. And you are to send into. port, for trial, all British vessels, or property, or other vessels, with any supplies for the ministerial forces, who you may make yourself master of, to such places as you may think best within the United Colonies. In case you are in any great danger of being taken you are to destroy these orders and your signals. EZECK HOPKINS, Commandant-in-chitf. SIGNALS FOR THE AMERICAN FLEET BY DAY. For sailing: Loose the foretopsail, and sheet it home. For weighing and coming to sail: Loose all the topsails, and sheet them home. For the fleet to anchor : Clew up the maintopsail, and hoist a weft in the ensign. For seeing a strange vessel .- Hoist the ensign, and lower and hoist it as many times as you ice vessels allowing two minutes between each time. For chasing: For the whole fleet to chase, a red pendant at the foretopmast head. To give over the chase : A white pendant at the foretopmast head. For the Columbus to chase : Strike the broad pendant half mast, to be answered by a weft in the ensign, and making sail. To chase to windward : Hoist the ensign lowering the pendant at the same time ; if to leeward not. To give over the chase : A white pendant at the foretopmast head, and if at a great distance, fire a gun at the same time. This may serve for any of the vessels to give over the chase and return to the fleet. For the Andrew Doria to chase : A Dutch flag at the foretopmast head. To chase to windward : Hoist the ensign, lowering the pendant at the same time; if to leeward, not. To give over the chase : A white pendant at the foretopmast head, and if at a great distance, fire un at the same time. the Cabot to chase : A white flag at the foretopmast head. To chase to windward, &c., as above. For the Providence to chase : A St. George''} ensign with stripes at the mizzen peak. To chase to windward, as above. For the Fly ta chase : A Dutch flag at the maintopmast head. To chase to windward, &c., as above. For the Hornet tt chase : A red pendant at the maintopmast head. To chase to windward, &c., as above: For the Wasp tt chase : A Dutch flag at the mizzen peak. To chase to windward &c., as above. For a general attack, or the whole fleet to engage. The standard, at the maintopmast head, with the striped jack and ensign at their proper places. To disengage and form into a squadron : A white flag at the ensign staff and the same into a weft for every vessel to make the best of their way off from the enemy for their own preservation. For all captains to come on board the Commodore : A red pendant at the ensign staff. To speak with the Columbus : A white pendant at the mizzen topmast head. To speak with the Andrew Doria : A Dutch flag at the mizzen topmast head. To speak with the Cabot : A weft in a jack at the mizzen topmast head. To speak with the Providence : A white flag at the mizzen topmast head. To speak with the Fly : A Dutch flag at the ensign staff". For any vessel in the fleet that wants to speak with the Commodore : A weft in the ensign, and if in distress, accompanied with two guns. To fall into a line abreast : A red pendant at the mizzen peak. To fall into a line ahead : A white pendant at the mizzen peak. For meeting after a separation : A weft in an ensign, at the maintopmast head, to be answered with the same, and cluing up the maintop gallant sail, if they have any set. For the ship Providence to chase : A red pendant at the mizzen topmast head. To chase to wind- ward as before. To speak with the ship Providence : A weft in the ensign at the ensign staff. Among the signal flags to be used by the fleet under Abraham Whipple commo- dore commanding, given under his hand on board the continental frigate, Provi- dence, Nantasket Roads, Nov. 22d, 1779, are mentioned : A continental ensign. A Dutch jack and ensign. A striped flag and A continental jack. A white ensign. A white jack. A red ensign. Among the signals prescribed to be observed by commanders in the continental navy and issued by order of the marine committee, Jan. 14, 1778, are mentioned as to be used, A French jack and A continental jack. a gun For 164 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE Magazine ) under date May 13, 1776, mentions that the colors of the American fleet were u striped under the union, with thirteen stripes, and their standard [admiral's flag] a rattlesnake ; motto : 'Dont tread on me.'" At the Naval Academy, Annapolis, there is preserved a mezzotinto engraving of" Commodore Hopkins, commandcr-in-chief of the American fleet, published as the law directs, 22d August, 1776, by Thomas Hart, which has been transferred to glass and colored." x The commodore is represented in naval conti- nental uniform, 2 with a drawn sword. At his right hand there is a flag of thirteen stripes with a snake undulating across them and underneath it the motto : "Don't tread on me." There is no union to this flag and it may represent the striped jack men- 1 There are extant other copies of this engraving. C. I. Bushnell, Esq., of New York, has one from which our illustration is engraved. It is inscribed like the other, zzd Aug., 1776. Hon. I. R. Bartlett of Providence also has a copy. Mr. Bushnell has a similar mezzotinto engraving of Charles Lee, which has over a cannon, a flag staff, attached to which is a plain white flag bearing the motto : " An Appeal to Heaven" This engraving is inscribed "Charles Lee, Esq., major general of the conti- nental forces in America. Published as the act directs 3ist Oct., 1775, by G. Shepherd. Thomtinson, pinxt." Mr. Bushnell has also a similar engraving of Gen. Gates, who has at his right hand a flag with thirteen black bars and thirteen white. It is inscribed " Horatio Gates, Esq., major general of the American forces. London, published as the act directs 2d Jan., 1778, by John Morris." I have seen a colored copy of this engraving, in which Gen. Gates is dressed in a red coat with white or buff facing, and the thirteen black bars on the flag are painted red. Our illustration is reduced and printed by the Albert type process, by the Photo- plate Printing Company of New York, of which E. Bierstadt is superintendent. It is a perfect fac simile of the original engraving. 2 This uniform, the first ordered for the continental navy, as will be seen, was pre- scribed by the marine committee, just two weeks after this engraving purports to have been published. Uniform of Navy and Marine Officers. In Marine Committee, Philadelphia, September 5, 1776. Resolved, That the uniform of the officers of the navy in the United States be as follows : Captains : Blue cloth with red lappells, slash cuff, stand up collar, flat yellow buttons, blue breeches, red waistcoat, with yellow lace. Lieutenants : Blue with red lappells, a round cuff faced, stand up collar, yellow buttons, blue breeches, red waistcoat, plain. Master : Blue with lappels, round cuff, blue breeches, and red waistcoat. Midshipmen : Blue lappelled coat, a round cuff faced with red, stand up collar, with red at the button and button hole, blue breeches, and red waistcoat. Uniform of the Marine Officers. A green coat faced with white, round cuff, slashed sleeves and pockets, with buttons round the cuff, silver epaulette on the right shoulder, skirts turned back, buttons to suit the facings. White waistcoat, and breeches, edged with green, black gaiters and garters. Green shirts for the men, if they can be procured. (Extract from the Minutes) : JOHN BROWN, Secretary. American Archives, (5th series), vol. u, page 181. COMMODORE HOPKINS, I'oMMlMiril '-ill; FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. tioned in his signals to the fleet. Over his left hand, there is a white flag with the pine tree device of Massachusetts, and over it the words " Liberty Tree" and under it " An Appeal to God" 1 am indebted to F. J. Dreer of Philadelphia, for a smaller French engraving evidently from the same painting inscribed, "Commodore Hopkins Commandeur en Chef des Amerj : Ftotte." It is without date, and shows only the flag at Hopkins's right hand, which is hoisted on the ensign staff of a ship of the line, and has thirteen stripes red and white, wjthout a union, rattle snake, motto, or any other device. The ship has pennants at each masthead. In this French engraving the left hand of the commodore, and ship and flag over it are not shown. 1 Sherburne 2 says the flag hoisted by Jones was composed of alternate stripes of red and blue with a rattlesnake running across the field, and the usual motto. Cooper is of the opinion that the flag hoisted by Jones was a pine tree flag with a rattlesnake coiled at its roots, and the motto. Such flags were hoisted over the Massachusetts state cruisers, and though unlikely, it is possible such a flag was hoisted over the Alfred, previous to the New Year, but Jones would scarcely have called it the flag of America. The proof is certain, however, that the squadron sailed under striped ensigns. An anonymous writer to the Boston Post, in 1853, asserts he had then before him a fac simile of the flag used by the Confederate states, from July, 1776, until the adoption of the stars and stripes, and that in the union emblem of the stripes, there is a rattlesnake coiled up and ready to strike, with the usual motto underneath. A writer in Harper's Magazine,* states but without giving his authority : " The Alfred was anchored off the foot of Walnut street. On a brilliant morning early in February, 1776, gay streamers were seen floating from every mast head and spar on the river. At nine o'clock a full manned barge threaded its way among the floating ice to the Alfred bearing the commodore who had chosen that vessel for his flag ship. He was greeted by the thunders of artillery and the shouts of a multitude. When he reached the deck of the Alfred, Captain Saltonstallgave a signal, 1 Mr. Bushnell has furnished me with a tracing of another French engraving of Hopkins, undated. It is in an oval surrounded by emblems, etc., and under it are the two flags shown in the Hart engraving. 2 Life of Paul Jones. July, 1855. ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE and Lieut. Jones hoisted a new flag prepared for the occasion. It was of yellow 7/ bearing a pine tree with the significant device of a rattlesnake with the ominous motto : " Don't tread on me." This is like the flag presented to congress by Col. Gaddsen, in February, as the one in use by the commander-in-chief of the American navy, with the addition of a pine tree to its devices. 1 A letter from Williamsburg, Va., dated April 10, 1776, states that the Roebuck, a British cruiser had taken two prizes in Delaware which she decoyed into her reach by hoisting a con- tinental union flag. The affidavit of Mr. Berry, master's mate of the ship Grace, captured by the Roebuck confirms the state- ment of the letter. 2 Another letter dating from Williamsburg, Virginia, May n, 1776,3 describes the colors of the American fleet as follows. The colors of the American fleet have a snake with thirteen rattles, the fourteenth budding, 4 described in the attitude of go- ing to strike, with this motto, " Don't tread on me ! " It is a rule in heraldry that the worthy properties of the animal in the crest borne shall be considered, and the base ones cannot be intended. The ancients accounted a snake or a serpent an emblem of wisdom, and in certain attitudes of endless duration. The rattlesnake is properly a representative of America, as the animal is found in no other part of the world. The eye of the creature excels in brightness most of any other animal. She has no eyelids, and is therefore an emblem of vigilance. She never begins an attack, nor ever surrenders , she is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage. When injured or in danger of being injured, she never wounds till she has given notice to her enemies of their danger. No other of her 1 An English writer of the period is quoted by Robert C. Sands in his Life of Paul Jones, assaying: " A strange flag has lately appeared in our seas, bearing a pine tree with the portrait- ure of a rattlesnake coiled up at its roots with these daring words : ' Don't tread on me.' We learn that the vessels bearing this flag have a sort of commission from a society of people at Philadelphia, calling themselves the continental congress." 3 Penn. Eve. Post, June 20, 1776. 3 American Archives, 4th series, vol. vi, p. 420, also Boston Gazette, April 14, 1777, This letter bears no signature, but immediately above it and on the same page in Am. Archives there is a letter of the same date from Williamsburgh addressed by Gen. Charles Lee to Gen. Washington. 4 The half formed additional rattle was said by Franklin, to represent the Pro- vince of Canada, and the tuise man added that "the rattles are united together so that they can never be separated but by breaking to pieces." Chas. SumncSs Lecture, " Are -we a Nation." FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 167 kind shows such generosity. When undisturbed and in peace, she does not appear to be furnished with weapons of any kind. They are latent in the roof of her mouth, and even when ex- tended for her defence, appear to those who are not acquainted with her to be weak and contemptible ; yet her wounds how- ever small, are decisive and fatal. She is solitary, and asso- ciates with her kind only when it is necessary for their preservation. Her poison is at once the necessary means of digesting her food and certain destruction to her enemies. The power of fascination attributed to her by a general construction, resembles America. Those who look steadily on her are de- lighted, and involuntarily advance towards her, and, having once approached never leave her. She is frequently found with thirteen rattles and they increase yearly. She is beautiful in youth, and her beauty increases with her age. Her tongue is blue and forked as the lightning. John F. Watson, in his Annals of New TorkJ states that when the Alliance Frigate was commanded by Jones, she bore the then national flag of the coiled up rattlesnake and thirteen stripes. As the Alliance was not launched until 1777, and Jones did not command her until 1779, at which time she must have carried the stars and stripes. Watson is evidently mistaken. On the I7th Dec., 1779, the Dutch admiral at the Texel wrote Jones, asking to be informed whether the Alliance was a French or an American vessel ; if the first, the admiral expected him to show his commission and display the French ensign and pendant, announcing it by firing a gun ; if an American, that he should lose no occasion to depart. The French commissary of ma- rine urged him to satisfy all parties by hoisting French colors, but Jones refused to wear any other than the American flag, and sent word to the admiral, that under that flag he should proceed to sea whenever the pilot would undertake to carry the ship out. At length on the morning of the 27th of December Jones had the satisfaction of announcing himself at sea in the Alliance, whence he wrote to Mr. Dumas by the pilot: " I am here, my dear sir, with a good wind at East, and under my best American colors" Favored by a strong east wind, the Alliance the next day passed through the Straits of Dover, with her colors set, running close to the Goodwin sands, in full view of the fleet, anchored in the 1 Annals of New Tork, p. 34. 1(58 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE Downs only three or four miles to leeward. On the 29th, she reconnoitered the fleet at Spithead, still showing her colors, and on the 1 8th of Jan. 1780, was fairly out of the channel. 1 It is claimed for Commodore Barney that he was first to hoist the continental flag in Maryland. He was appointed the second in rank, to the sloop Hornet, one of Hopkins's squadron. A crew had not been shipped, and the duty of recruiting fell upon him. Fortunately for his purpose just at this moment the new American flag sent by Commodore Hopkins for the service of the Hornet arrived from Philadelphia, the first that had been seen in the state of Maryland. His biographer calls it a star-spangled banner, but that is evidently her mistake. The next morn- ing at sunrise Barney unfurled it to the music of drums and fifes, and hoisting it upon a staff planted it with his own hands at the door of his rendezvous. The heart-stirring sounds of the martial music, then a novelty in Baltimore, and the still more novel sight of the rebel colors gracefully waving in the breeze, attracted crowds of all ranks and sizes to the gay scene of the rendezvous, and before the setting of the same day's sun the young recruiting officer had enlisted a full crew of jolly rebels for the Hornet. 2 There seems to be a charm in rebel colors for the Baltimoreans, which has descended to recent times. That Paul Jones was the first to hoist the new continental flag has been doubted, and he may have been mistaken, Cooper 3 remarks. He always claimed to have been the first man to hoist the flag of 1775, in a national ship, and the first man to show the present ensign on board a man-of-war. This may be true or not. There was a weakness about the character of the man that rendered him a little liable to self-delusions of this nature, and while it is probable he was right as to the flag which was shown before Philadelphia, the town where congress was sitting, it is by no means as reasonable to suppose that the first of the permanent flags [stars and stripes] was shown at a place as dis- tant as Portsmouth. The circumstances are of no moment, except as they serve to betray a want of simplicity of character, that was rather a failing with the man, and his avidity for per- sonal distinction of every sort. 1 Mackenzie's Life of Paul Jones, vol. i, p. 2,52, 253. 2 Life of Commodore Joshua Barney, by Mary Barney. 3 Cooper' 's Life of Paul Jones, p. 31. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 169 John Adams addressing Elbridge Gerry, who was then the vice president of the U. S., from Quincy, Jan. 28, 1813,* disputes the claim of Jones, and says, with the pride of a Massachusetts man jealous of honors for the Pilgrim state: "Philadelphia is now boasting that Paul Jones has asserted in his Journal that ' this hand hoisted the first American flag, 7 and Captain Barry has as- serted that ' the first British flag was struck to him/ now I assert that the first American flag was hoisted by Capt. John Manly, and the first British flag was struck to him. You were not in con- gress in 1775, but you was in the state congress and must have known the history of Manly's capture of the transport which contained the mortar, 2 which afterwards on Dorchester Heights drove the English army from Boston, and navy from the harbor." He also wrote to John Langdon who was a member of the first naval committee Jan. 24,1813: " My recollection has been excited lately by information from Philadelphia that Paul Jones has written in his Journal, c My hand first hoisted the American flag,' and that Capt. Barry used to say that the first British flag was struck to him.' Both these vain boasts I know to be false, and as you know them to be so, I wish your testimony to corroborate mine. It is not decent nor just that these emigrants, foreigners of the South, should falsely arrogate to themselves merit that belongs to New England sailors, offi- cers and men." Mr. Langdon replied from Portsmouth, "Jan. 27, 1813:" " The appointment of Manly and his successors must be well known throughout the United States. As to Paul Jones, if my memory serves me, pretending to say that c this hand first hoisted 1 Austin's Life of Elbridge Gerry. 2 The transport brig Nancy with military stores, several brass guns, and one mortar was captured by the schooner Lee, Capt. John Manly of 4 guns, 10 swivels and 50 men on the 29th Nov., 1775. Dec. 8th, he captured the ship Jenny of 2 guns, loaded with provisions, and the brig Hannah, and beat off a British schooner of 8 guns having two vessels under convoy. Capt. Barry did not get to sea in the Lexington until Feb., 1776. We have no account of the flag worn by Manly. It was probably the pine tree flag. I think Jones may retain his honors, and that for Barry it can be truthfully claimed, that he was the first under the striped flag to capture an armed vessel of the enemy. The fortunate capture of the Nancy is alluded to in one of Mr. John Adams's letters. 170 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE the American flag,' and Capt. Barry that 'the first British flag struck to him,' they are both unfounded, as it is impressed on my mind that many prizes were brought into the New England states before their names were mentioned." J The Lexington brig mounting fourteen four -pounders and commanded by Capt. John Barry, has been credited as the first of the new continental marine to get to sea and to display the striped flag upon the ocean. There had been private and colonial marine enterprises and cruisers previously, as there were later. As we have shown two vessels, the Lynch and the Franklin, had been commissioned by Gen. Washington, and had sailed under the pine tree flag, and two small vessels the Wasp and Hornet had come around from Baltimore to join the fleet in the Delaware, 2 but it was claimed for the Lexington that she was the first to get to sea, and Cooper in the earlier editions of his Naval History so asserted, but in his later editions he says an examination of the private papers of Capt. Barry has shown him, that Capt. B. was actually employed on shore or in the Delaware for a short time after Commodore Hopkins got to sea. 3 The first regular commissioned cruisers therefore of the national navy of the United Colonies were those of Hopkins's squadron. The fleet left Philadelphia early in January, 1776.4 The following letter contains an account of its departure from thence for Reedy Island : Newbern, N. C., Feb. Qth, 1776. " By a gentleman from Philadelphia^ we have received the pleasing account of the actual sailing from that place of the first American fleet that ever swelled their sails on the Western Ocean y 1 Life and Works of John Adams, vol. x, pp. 28 and 29, where also are his letters to Elbridge Gerry, pp. 30, 31. 2 Tuesday, January 9, 1776. Resolved, That a letter be written to Mr. Tilghman informing him that the Hor- net and Wasp are under orders to sail to the Capes of Delaware, and that such vessels as are ready to sail, may take the benefit of that convoy. That the committee for fitting out armed vessels, be directed to give orders to the captains of the Hornet and Wasp, to take under their convoy such vessels as are ready to sail. Am. Archives, 4th series, vol. iv, p. 1637. 8 Cooper's Naval History, edition 1856. 4 The naval committee were authorized by the committee of safety of Pennsylvania under date Jan. I, 1776, to engage three of the pilocs of that province to conduct the vessels, down to Reedy island, and the committee of safety also authorized the loan of a number of men from the armed bodies of that province, to navigate the FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. in defence of the rights and liberties of the people of these colonies, now suffering under the persecuting rod of the British ministry, and their more than brutish tyrants in America. This fleet consists of five sails, fitted out from Philadelphia, which are to be joined at the Capes of Virginia, by two ships more from Maryland, and is commanded by Admiral Hopkins, a most ex- perienced and venerable sea captain. The admiral's ship is called the Columbus, after Christopher Columbus, thirty-six guns, twelve and nine pounders, on two decks, forty swivels, and five hundred men. The second ship is called the Cabot, after Se- bastian Cabot, who completed the discoveries of America made by Columbus, and mounts thirty-two guns. The others are smaller vessels, from twenty-four to fourteen guns. They sailed from Philadelphia, amidst the acclamations of many thousands assembled on the joyful occasion, under the display of a union flag with thirteen stripes in the field, emblematical of the thirteen United Colonies', but unhappily for us, the ice in the river Delaware, as yet obstructs the passage down, but the time will now soon arrive when this fleet must come to action. Their destination is a secret, but generally supposed to be against the Ministerial Governours, those little petty tyrants that have lately spread fire and sword throughout these southern colonies. For the happy success of this little fleet, three millions of people offer their most earnest supplications to Heaven." x At Reedy Island the squadron was frozen up for six weeks, and did not leave the Delaware until the lyth of February. 2 On the iQth, the Hornet and Fly parted company. The first achievement of the squadron under the national flag was a descent upon New Providence where near one hundred cannon vessels belonging to congress down. The naval committee's sailing orders to Hopkins are dated Jan. 5, 1776. Am. Archives, 4th series, vol. iv, pp. 506 and 578. Washington in his letter to Read Jan. 4, 1776, after describing his raising the union flag at Cambridge, says : " I fear your fleet has been so long fitting out and the de- stination of it is so well known, that the end will be defeated, if the vessel escape." 1 American Archives, 4th series, vol. iv, page 964. John Adams in a letter dated " Quincy, April 13, 1819," writes: "I lay no serious claim to the title of Father of the American navy or of any thing else except my own family. Have you seen the History of the American Navy written by a Mr. Clark and edited by Mat. Carey ? I gave the name Alfred, Columbus, Cabot, and Andrea Doriatothe first ships that sailed under the flag of the United Colonies." Watson's Men and Times of the Re-volution. * Life of Paul Jones ; Hopkins' Orders to the Fleet ; Cooper' 1 ! Naval History, etc. 172 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE and a large quantity of other stores fell into its hands. After hoisting the striped flag and holding possession of the place for a few days, Commodore Hopkins left on the iyth of March, bringing away the governor and one or two men of note. 1 On this occasion, the first that ever occurred in the regular American navy, the marines under Captain Nicholas appear to have behaved with the spirit and steadiness that has distin- guished the corps from that hour down to the present time. Scattering his small vessels along the southern coast, the com- modore arrived with the remainder of his squadron off Montauk point on the 4th of April, where he captured a small vessel of six guns, and on the 6th engaged the Glasgow 20, Capt. Tyringham Howe, which managed to get into Newport where the English squadron then was. On the i yth of April, in the neighborhood of the capes of Virginia, the Lexington supported the honor of the new flag by capturing after a close and spirited action the British armed brig Edward mounting sixteen four-pounders, two more than her antagonist. The Lexington had but four men killed while the Edward was very much cut to pieces and suffered severe loss. The Lexington's career was short but glorious. In October of the same year near the spot where she engaged the Edward, she was captured by the frigate Pearl. In the night the Americans overpowered the prize crew, and took the brig to Baltimore where she was immediately recommissioned and sailed thence March, 1777, for Europe where she arrived. Cruising in company with the Dolphin and Reprisal she was chased by a ship of the line, but escaped into Morlaix where she was seized and detained by the French government until Septem- ber. The day after her release she sailed, and the next day surrendered to the British man-of-war cutter Alert, after an action of an hour and a half (during which all her ammunition was expended) and a hard chase of four hours. Conquered but not subdued and unable to return her opponent's fire, Capt. Johnson, her commander, to save the lives of his crew, was compelled to strike her colors. 1 Cooper's Naval History. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 173 When taken she had been in service only about one year and eight months. She was the first vessel that bore the continental flag to victory on the ocean, and in her short career had fought two severe actions under it, was twice taken and once recaptured, was otherwise engaged with armed vessels, and captured several prizes. This Lexington of the seas occupies therefore some- thing the same position in our naval annals that the Lexing- ton from whom she derives her name does from having been the arena of the first conflict of the colonies with England. A correspondent in England says : u An American privateer was some time since taken by one of our frigates. She carried the continental colors, which are thirteen red and white stripes ; but it was observed that this privateer had but twelve stripes in his colors. On being asked the reason, he answered that since O ' we had taken the province of New York, the congress had a province less ; and that whenever they lost any of the provinces, it was their orders to cut away one of the stripes from their colors, so that there should be no more stripes than provinces." 1 It has been suggested as the reason a flag emblematic of the union of the colonies was not sooner adopted, that it required the adherence of Georgia to complete their union. On the 6th of July, 1775, Georgia in her provincial congress assented to all the measures of resistance and united with the other colonies against the ministerial measures, but the flag with thirteen stripes was not hoisted until January. It is not the province of this work to follow the naval events of the war only as they are connected with the history of the flag under its several phases, and show where and when it first made its mark upon the ocean. The first American vessel of war to show the continental flag to the European world was the Reprisal, Capt. Wickes, a brig like the Lexington of 16 guns. She sailed from home soon after the declaration of independence with Dr. Frank- lin on board as a passenger, and appeared in France in the autumn of 1776, bringing in several prizes. The prizes were directed to quit France without delay, and the Reprisal was with the Lexington detained until security was given that they Low's Astronomical Diary, 1777. 174 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE would quit the European seas. When released, the Reprisal sailed for America agreeably to the conditions of the French government, and foundered on the banks of Newfoundland, when all on board perished with the exception of the cook. The first vessel to obtain a salute for the new flag from a foreign power was the brig Andrea Doria, Capt. Robinson, mounting 14 four-pounders. This little brig was purchased prior to the resolution of Dec. 22d, 1775, and had already done some active cruising under the command of Nicholas Biddle. She sailed from Philadelphia, July, 1776, and proceeded at once to St. Eustatia to procure some arms. On her arrival at that port, she saluted the Dutch flag, and her salute was returned by the governor who was subsequently removed from office for his indiscretion. 1 On her return the Andrea Dorea captured the Race Horse of 12 guns, a vessel of about her own force, and arrived at Philadelphia with her prize. When the evacuation of Fort Mifflin gave command of the Delaware to the British, both vessels were burnt to prevent their falling into the hands of the enemy. On the 29th of Oct., 1776, the continental congress passed the following resolve, though it does not appear upon its journals that up to that time, or for several months later there was any legislation establishing a national flag. 2 Resolved, That no private ship or vessel of war, merchant ship or other vessel belonging to the subjects of these states be permitted to wear pendants when in company with continental ships or vessels of war without leave from the commanding offi- cer thereof. That if any merchant ship or vessel shall wear pendants in company with continental ships or vessels of war without leave from the commander thereof, such commander be authorized to take away the pendant from the offender. That if private ships or vessels of war refuse to pay the respect due 1 In 1863 the confederate (rebel) cruiser Florida received a return salute from the English authorities at Bermuda, but we do not learn that the governor was removed for his indiscretion. 2 Journal of Congress, Tuesday, Oct. 2,9, 1776, vol. I, p. 531 (edition of Way & Gideon, Washington, 1823). FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 175 the continental ships, or vessels of war, the captain or com- mander refusing shall lose his commission. This law, says Cooper in his Naval History, who gives the date of it a year earlier (1775), "was framed in a proper spirit, and manifested an intention to cause the authorized agents of the government on the high seas to be properly respected. It ex- cites a smile, however, that the whole marine of the country consisted at that time of two small vessels, that were not yet equipped." x He might have added and before any national flag to be so respected had been by legal enactment, so far as the jour- nals of congress show prescribed. The official legal origin of the grand union striped flag at Cambridge, and the other striped flags worn by the fleet of Commodore Hopkins is to this day involved in obscurity. It is singular that no mention of their official establishment can be found in the private diaries of the times, the official and private correspondence since made public of the prominent actors of the revolution, the newspapers of the times or the journals of the provincial and continental congresses. We simply know from a variety of testimony, that there was a striped continental flag, representing the majesty and authority of the thirteen United Colonies. A letter dated from Newport, Oct. 21, 1776, says, on the authority of a Capt Vickery just arrived from the West Indies: " No vessel is suffered to wear English colors in any French port, but continental colors are displayed every Sunday and much admired." 2 We have established in the preceding pages that the earliest flags planted on the shores of North America, of which there is any record were those of England. That through the colonial and provincial periods they were continued in the Anglo-Saxon settlements with the addition of various devices mottoes up to the time of the grand union flag raising at 2 The list of vessels belonging to the U. S. Navy, Oct. 1776, was (the date of the resolve), as given by Cooper: 13 vessels of from 32 to 28 guns building, and 13 vessels in service, viz : I, of 24, I of 20, 2 of 16, 3 of 14, I of 12, 2 of 10, and 3 smaller, 814 guns. At the same time (Oct. 10, 1776), a resolution passed congress defining the relative rank of the 24 captains then in the navy. Cooper's Naval History, 1856 ed., pp. 57, 5 8. 2 American Archives, vol. i, 5th series, p. 173. 176 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE Cambridge, Massachusetts, Jan. 2, 1776, when the long esta- blished and well known red resign of England bearing in its union the blended crosses of St. George and St. Andrew, emblematic of the union of Scotland and England, was striped in its field with thirteen stripes, alternate red and white, as an emblem of the union of the thirteen United Colonies, against the oppressive acts of the ministerial government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, whose symbol they nevertheless retained. We now have arrived at the period when this last semblance of loyalty was to be abandoned, and the striped union flag of the colonies received added beauty and new significance by the erasure of the blended crosses of St. George and St. Andrew and the sub- stitution of a canopy of stars, on a blue field representing a new constellation in the western political heavens, an entire separa- tion of the colonies from Great Britain, and the advent among the nations of the earth of a new power which had, by its declara- tion of rights, a few months previous, solemnly proclaimed a free and independent state, under the name of THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. When the declaration of independence was declared from the State House, at Philadelphia, the king's arms were taken down by nine associates appointed for the purpose, who conveyed them to a pile of casks which had been erected on the common for a bonfire, and the arms being,placed on top were so destroyed. 2 Flags with different devices and mottoes still continued, how- ever, to be used by troops in the field. At the battle of Long Island, Aug. 26, 1776, the Hessian regiment, Rail saw a troop of about fifty Americans hastening towards them with flying colors. Rail commanded to give fire. The Americans, who had lost their way, or who had been cut off from their countrymen, surrendered and begged for quarters, whereupon they laid down their arms. An under officer leap- ing forward took away the colors. He was about to present them to Colonel Rail when General Von Merbach arrived, 1 Hinman in his Conn., in the Revolutionary War^ page 114, notes: "In 1776, the red ground of the American flag was altered to thirteen blue and 'white stripes as an emblem of the thirteen colonies united in war for Liberty." His note has no con- nection with the text, and he does not give his authority for his statement. 3 Diary of Chris. Marshall, 1774-77- FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 177 and was about snatching the colors from the under officer's hands when Rail said in a tone of vexation, " By no means general, my grenadiers have taken those colors, they shall keep them, and I shall not permit any one to take them away." A short altercation now took place between them and they separated in angry mood, but the colors remained for the present with Rail's regiment. The captured colors were of red damask, with the motto Liberty. The Americans took their stand at the head of the regiment Rail with their arms reversed, carrying their hats under their arms, and fell upon their knees, and earnestly en- treated that their lives might be spared. 1 I have an undated engraving of what purports to be the battle of White Plains [Oct. 28, 1776,] but which seems to represent the scene above described, the Americans carrying a flag of which the annexed is a fac-simile. 1 Hessian account of the battle of Long Island. Memoirs of Long Island Hist. Soc., vol. n, pp. 434, 435. American Flag. From an old English engraving of the battle of White Plains, Oct. a8, 1776. 23 PL. VII! THE STARS AND STRIPES, 1777-1872. PROPOSED STANDARD 1B18 1818 1818 1847 39 STARS. 1?,<;rit/PFS 1872 37 STAKS . 13 STKIFFS PART III. THE STARS AND STRIPES. A. D. 1777-1818. THEORIES AS TO THE ORIGIN OF THE STARS AND STRIPES AS THE DEVICES OF OUR NATIONAL BANNER. THE THIRTEEN STARS AND THIRTEEN STRIPES DURING THE REVOLUTION. 1777-1783. THE FLAG OF THIRTEEN STARS AND THIRTEEN STRIPES. THE FLAG OF FIFTEEN STARS AND FIFTEEN STRIPES. 1795-1818. " Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed be- cause of the truth." Psalms lx., 4. " As at the early dawn the stars shine forth even while it grows light, and then as the sun advances that light breaks into banks and streaming lines of color, the glowing red and intense white striving together and ribbing the horizon with bars effulgent. So on the American flag, stars and beams of many colored light shine out together. And where this flag comes, and men behold it, they see in its sacred emblazonry no ramping lions, and no fierce eagle ; no embattled castles, or insignia of imperial authority ; they see the symbols of light. It is the banner of dawn. It means Liberty / and the galley slave, the poor oppressed conscript, the down trodden creature of foreign despotism, sees in the American flag that very promise and pre- diction of God : * The people which sat in darkness saw a great light j and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.' "In 1777, within a few days of one year after the declaration of independence the congress of the colonies in the confederated states assembled and ordained this glorious national flag which we now hold and defend, and advanced it full high before God and all men, as the flag of liberty. " It was no holiday flag gorgeously emblazoned for gayety or vanity. It was a solemn national signal. When that banner first unrolled to the sun, it was the sym- bol of all those holy truths and purposes which brought together the colonial Ameri- can Congress ! * * Our flag means, then, all that our fathers meant in the revo- lutionary war ; it means all that the declaration of independence meant ; it means all that the constitution of our people, organizing for justice, for liberty and for hap- piness meant. Our flag carries American ideas, American history, and American feelings. Beginning with the colonies and coming down to our time, in its sacred heraldry, in its glorious insignia, it has gathered and stored chiefly this supreme idea : Divine right of liberty in man Every color means liberty j every thread means liberty ; every form of star and beam or stripe of light means liberty : Not lawlessness, not license j but organized institutional liberty, liberty through law, and laws for liberty ! " Accept it, then, in all its fullness of meaning. It is not a painted rag. It is a whole national history. It is the constitution. It is the government. It is the free people that stand in the government on the constitution. Forget not what it means ; and for the sake of its ideas, be true to your country's flag." Henry Ward Beecher's Address to two Companies of the Brooklyn XIV Regt. t 1861. PART III. THE STARS AND STRIPES 1777-1783. The earliest and only suggestion of the stars as a device for the, American ensign prior to their adoption in 1777, I have been able to find, is contained in the Massachusetts Spy for March 10, 1774, in a song written for the anniversary of the Boston Massacre (March 5). In a flight of poetic fancy, the writer foretells the future triumph of the American ensign thus : " A ray of bright glory now beams from afar The American Ensign now sparkles a star Which shall shortly flame wide through the skies." The supposed earliest instance of the thirteen stripes being used upon an American banner is found upon a standard said to have been presented to the Philadelphia troop of Light Horse in 1774-75, by Capt. Abraham Markoe, and still in the possession of that troop, and displayed at its anniversary dinners. 1 As Gen. Washington, when en route to take command of the army at Cambridge accompanied by Generals Lee and Schuy- ler, was escorted by this troop of light horse from Philadel- phia, June 21, 1775, to New York, 2 he was doubtless familiar with the sight of this standard, and it is possible that it may i I am indebted to my kind and indefatigable correspondent, John A. McAllister, Esq., of Philadelphia, in a letter dated Oct. 26, 1871, for my first knowledge of this standard, which has altogether escaped the notice of previous hfstorians of our flag. *Sparkss Life of Washington, p. 143, also Bancrofts History United States. " On the 23d of June, the day after congress had heard the first rumors of the battle at Charlestown, Washington was escorted out of Philadelphia by the Massachusetts delegates and many others with music, officers of militia and a cavalcade of light horse in uniform. On Sunday, the 25th, all New York was in motion. Washing- ton, accompanied by Lee and Schuyler under escort of the Philadelphia Light Horse, was known to have reached Newark. On the news that he was to cross the Hudson, bells were rung, the militia paraded in their gayest trim, and at 4 o'clock in the afternoon the commander-in-chief, dressed in a uniform of blue, was received at Lis- penard's by the mass of inhabitants. Drawn in an open carriage by a pair of white horses, he was escorted into the city by nine companies of infantry, while multitudes of all ages bent their eyes on him from house tops, the windows and the streets. 182 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE have suggested to him the striped union flag he raised at Cambridge six months later. The first continental congress assembled at Philadelphia, Sept., 1774, and on the I7th of November following, twenty- eight gentlemen of the highest respectability and fortunes vo- luntarily associated, and constituted themselves the Philadelphia troop of light horse, and elected Abraham Markoe captain. The uniform they adopted was a- dark brown short coat, faced and lined with white ; high topped boots ; round black hat, bound with silver cord ; a buck's tail, housings brown edged with white, and the letters L. H., worked on them. Their arms were a carbine ; a pair of pistols and holsters ; a horseman's sword ; white belts for the sword and carbine. Such was the appearance of this troop when it accompanied Gen. Washington to New York, and afterward fought under its standard at Trenton and Princeton. Capt. Markoe resigned his commission in 1775, in conse- quence of an edict of the king of Denmark, which forbade his subjects to engage in the war against Great Britain, under penalty of confiscation of their property, 1 and if he presented this standard to the troop before his resignation, and it was their first standard, this would fix the date of its manufacture between 1774 and '5, and prior to the union flag raising at Cambridge. For this reason this flag is considered a relic of priceless value by the troop to which it belongs. For the following accurate and minute description of this in- teresting revolutionary relic I am indebted to Mr. Charles J. Lukens, of Philadelphia : 2 "The flag of the Light Horse of Philadelphia is forty inches long and thirty-four inches broad. Its canton is twelve and one- That night the royal governor, Tryon, landed without any such popular parade." Bancroft's History of the United States. Nov. 21, 1775, Lady Washington was escorted from Schuylkill ferry into the city by the light horse, &c. Nov. 27, 1775, Lady Washington attended by a troop of horse, two companies of light infantry, &c., left Philadelphia on her journey to the camp at Cambridge. Passages from the Diary of Christopher Marshall, vol. I, 1774-77, edited by Wm. Duanc, pub. Phila., 1839. 1 By-laius, Muster Roll and Papers of the First Troop of the Philadelphia City Cavalry, Philadelphia, Jas. B. Smith and Co., 1856. 2 Letters of C. J. Lukens to G. H. P., dated Nov. 6, 1871, March 21, 1872, etc. Mr. Lukens says the first troop have always prized their standard very highly, but never suspected its value in the history of the stars and stripes until informed by him. HILA DELPHIA uiHT BY GAPr - ABRAHAM FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 183 half inches long and nine and one-half inches wide. The armorial achievement in its centre occupies the proportional space shown in the drawing ; both sides of the flag exhibit the same attributes. The left side shows everything as if the material were transparent, giving the right side entirely in reverse, except the cyphers L. H., and the motto : c For these we strive.' The cyphers, the running vine on both sides, the cord and tassels, and the fringe are of silver bullion twist. The spgarjiead and the upper ferrule, taken together eight inches in length, are of solid silver. The staff is of dark wood, in three carefully ferruled divisions screwing together. Ten screw rings at irregular intervals from two and one-half to three and three-fourths inches, are used to attach the flag to the stafF by means of a cord laced through corresponding eyelets in the flag. " The flag is formed of two sides very strongly hemmed to- gether along the edges, each side being of two equal pieces attached together by means of a horizontal seam, the material of the flag being a light bright yellow silk, and apparently the same tint as that of the present artillery flag of the United States. The canton of the flag is ' Barry of thirteen azure and argent.'* The azure being deep ultra marine, the argent silver leaf. The achievement in the centre of the flag is : Azure, a round knot of three interlacings, with thirteen divergent, wavy, bellied double foliated ends or, whereof two ends are in chief, and one in base as per margin. The scrolled edging of the shield is gold, with outer and inner rims of silver. "Crest, [without a wreath] a horse's head bay, with a white star on the forehead, erased at the shoulders, maned sable, bitted and resetted or, and bridled azure. Over the head of the charger is the monogram L. H. 2 1 Mr. C. C. Haven read a paper before the New Jersey Hist. Soc., January, 1872, in which he stated that Capt. Barry was presented with a flag in 1779, which had twelve stars and stripes only on an azure field. The record of the presentation of this flag, he had seen. 3 For Light Horse, though a former member of the troop suggests these letters 184 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE " Beneath the shield, the motto c For these we strive,' * in black Roman capitals of the Elizabethan style, on a floating silver scroll, upon the upcurled ends of which stand the supporters, DEXTER, a Continental masquerading as an American Indian (probably of the Boston tea party, Dec. 16, 1773), with a bow or, the loosened string blue floating on the wind, in his left hand, and in his right, a gold rod upholding a liberty cap, 2 with tassel azure, the lining stiver, head dress and kilt (or ga-ka-ah) of feathers, the former of five alternately of dark red, and gold, with fillet of crimson. The latter of seven alternately of gold and of dark red. (This may be of eight, and then it would be 5-j-8=i3, alternately of dark red, and of gold, as the gold at least occupies the extreme natural right of the kilt. The uncertainty arises from age, and the fact that the dependant ends of a crimson shoulder sash or scarf worn from left to right with knot at the waist bound the left edge of the kilt, which itself is supported by a narrow girdle, with pendant loops of gold, and the looped spaces red. The quiver is of gold supported over the right shoulder by a blue strap : its arrows are proper. A con- tinental officer's crescent, gold, suspended around the neck by a blue string, rests just where the clavicles meet the sternum. The mocassins are buff with feather tops, I think alternated dark red, and gold. The Indian has deep black hair, but his skin is intermediate between the Caucasian and the aboriginal hues, rather inclining to the former, and his cheek is decidedly ruddy, almost rosy. He approaches the shield in profile as does also the SINISTER SUPPORTER which represents an angel of florid tint, roseate cheek, with auburn curly hair, and blue eyes, blow- are the monogram of Levi Hollingsworth who was quarter master of the troop at the battle of Trenton. 1 Evidently referring to fame and liberty represented by the supporters. G. H. P. 8 Many persons entertain the belief that the liberty cap was first used in modern times as an emblem of freedom by the French during the Revolution of 1790. That this was not the case is proved by its being one of the devices on the flag of the Phila- delphia Light Horse, and also by the following resolve of the committee ofsafety of Philadelphia, of about the same date, viz. : Philadelphia, August $ist, 1775. At a meeting of the Committee of Safety, held this day, Resolved, That Owen Biddle provide a seal for the use of the board, about the size of a dollar, with a cap of liberty with this motto. " This is my right and I tuill defend it " The liberty cap is of Phrygian origin, and belongs to classical times. It was anciently given to freedmen as a token of manumission from bondage. The Saxons of England used it as their ordinary head dress, but without the meaning we attach to it. It was on American coins in 1783. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 185 ing a golden trumpet, with his right hand, and holding in his left a gold rod. His wings are a light blueish gray with changeable flashes of silver. His flowing robe from the right shoulder to the left flank is purple. These supporters not being heraldic in position and motion for human or angelic figures, their left and right action have the natural and not heraldic significations. " This flag is in admirable condition considering that nearly one hundred years have elapsed since it was made. The whole is a model of good taste and judgment, and evidences that Captain Markoe spared no expense." It is to be regretted, the precise date of the presentation of this banner, and the origin of its devices cannot be ascer- tained. It seems remarkable an event so important is not found chronicled in the Philadelphia papers of the time. 1 A lithograph of this flag, giving a fair general idea of its appear- ance, was published in the Military Magazine, printed by Wm. Huddy in Philadelphia, in 1839. The picture is accompanied by the following lines written by Andrew McMakin which are dedicated to it : FAME AND LIBERTY. " No trophy doth 'the earth conceal To Freeman's soul more truly dear, No conquest of the ensanguined steel A Freeman's heart like this can cheer : 'For these we strive? each burnished sword With ardor struggles to be free, And in the foremost ranks would guard Our spotless FAME AND LIBERTY! 1 Some twenty years ago, the Germantoiun Telegraph published a communication which stated that the old flag belonging to the first troop of Philadelphia county cavalry, was somewhere in existence, and it was very desirable it should be recovered. The editor adds : " It was painted in 1774, at the organization of the corps, and it is believed to be the only relic now extant of the first flag adopted by the colonies j it is designed to place it in the Philadelphia Museum for preservation. Any person who will deliver it at this office, or leave information where it can be obtained will receive the thanks of every citizen anxious that this patriotic relic should be rescued from oblivion." A correspondent of the Philadelphia Sunday Dispatch says : " We can say without any hesitation that the newspapers of 1774, contain nothing about the presentation of this flag, nor about the formation of the troop of Light Horse." I have myself searched files of newspapers of 1774 and '5, without finding any mention of the presentation. 24 186 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE Unfold the banner to the light And let its blazonry appear, Unmarr'd by black oppression's night, Unshaken still by craven fear ; ' For these we strive ' a potent charm To conjure forth the brave and free, To warm the heart and nerve the arm That strikes for FAME and LIBERTY ! ' For these we strive / what brighter name Can man achieve or beauty see, Than WORTH to share his country's FAME, Or PERISH for her liberty ! Behold its gleam along the sky, A seal of hope, a promise given That'neath its folds who justly die, Shall win a recompense in Heaven/' On the semicentennial anniversary of the troop, Nov. 17, 1824, this banner was displayed ; when David Paul Brown being called upon for a toast gave impromptu : OUR BANNER ! " For fifty years at fray or feast O'er deadly foe or gentle guest Triumphantly unfurled ! And FIFTY more, our flag shall wave In memory of the Good and Brave Who dignified the world ; And tyranny and time defy In freedom's immortality." Mr. Lukens considers this flag to bear intrinsic evidence of having existed before the invention of the star spangled banner u because it has no stars save a white star in the fore- head of the horse-head used as a crest, it also symbolizes the thirteen colonies by a golden knot of thirteen divergent wavy, floating, foliated ends upon a blue shield ; and although this in itself is a very beautiful type of the United Colonies, it never would have been selected for the purpose by any body after the invention of the thirteen stars on blue, equivalent to thirteen stars in the heavens ; because the latter, as a far higher and FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 187 more significant symbol, would instantly have swayed every heart in its favor." 1 The Pennsylvania Magazine, vol. I, 1775, has for its fronti- spiece two flags crossed, engraved by Aitken, one of which is blazoned with the thirteen stripes, but has no stars. The same magazine has what purports to be " a correct view of the battle at Charlestown June 17, 1775," in which the British flag is plainly to be seen, but no other flag is visible. On Saturday, the I4th of June, 1777, the American congress " RESOLVED, That the flag of the thirteen United States be thir- teen stripes alternate red and white : that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation" 2 This is the first and only legislative action, of which there is any record for the establishment of a National Flag for the sovereign United States of America, declared independent July 4, 1776, and proclaims the official birth of a new constellation as the symbol of their union. This resolve was not officially promulgated over the signature of the secretary of congress at Philadelphia until Sept. 3d, and at other places still later, though it was printed in the papers a month earlier. An officer of the American army records in his Diary under the date August 3d, 1777: "It appears by the papers that congress resolved on the I4th of June last, that the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes alternate red and white, that the union be thirteen stars white on a blue field, &c." 3 This dilatory resolve of congress, it will be observed, was not passed until eighteen months after the union flag raising at Cambridge, and the sailing of the first American fleet from Philadelphia under Continental colors. Nearly a year after the declaration of the entire separation of the colonies from Great Britain, and another two and a half months elapsed before it was promulgated officially. There was red tape in those early days as well as now. No re- cord of the discussions which undoubtedly preceded the adoption of the stars and stripes has been preserved, and we do not know 1 Report of Mr. Lukens's lecture on the Heraldry of the American Flag, in the Sunday Dispatch. 2 Journals of Congress, 1823 ed., i, 165; Arnold's History of Rhode Island; Hamilton^ History of the U. S. Flag ; Sarmiento^s History of our Flag ; Boston Ga- zette, Sept. 15, 1777, etc. 3 Military Journal during the American Revolutionary W 'ar from 1775 to 1783 by James Thatcher, M.D., late Surgeon in the Amenia. 188 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE to whom we are indebted for their beautiful and soul-inspiring devices. There are many theories as to their origin, but although less than a century has elapsed since their adoption, none which are entirely satisfactory. The stripes, as we have already stated, are by some supposed to have been borrowed from the Dutch or from the designating stripes on the coats of the continental soldiers. Both stars and stripes, others have considered, were suggested by the arms of Washington, which, by a singular coincidence, contain both. The arms of William, Lord Douglas, also bear on a silver shield a chief azure, charged with three mullets (five-pointed stars) silver. Had any banner been blazoned with th.e coat armor of Washington, it is reasonable to suppose he would have chosen its devices for the banner of his own life guard, but that as can be seen by our illustration on page 18 has no such device. A British antiquarian x supports the idea that Washington's arms furnished the device for " our flag " in this wise : " Like Oliver Cromwell, the American patriot was fond of genealogy, and corresponded with our heralds on the subject of his own pedigree. Yes ! that George Washington, who gave sanction if not birth to that most democratical of all senti- ments, * that all men are free and equal ' 2 was, as the phrase goes, a gentleman of blood, of ancient time, and coat armor, nor was he slow to acknowledge the fact. 3 When the Americans in their most righteous revolt against the tyranny of the mother country cast about for an ensign with which to distinguish themselves from their English oppressors what did they ultimately adopt ? Why ! Nothing more nor less than a gen- tleman's badge, a modification of the old English coat of arms 1 Lowes. 2 Does he not give to Washington credit that is due to Jefferson, who wrote the Declaration of Independence, in which all men are declared to be created equal ? Or to Mason, of Virginia : " That all men are created equally free and independent," the commencing words of the declaration of rights written by the Hon. Geo. Mason of Virginia, May, 1776, on a copy of which he endorsed : " The first declaration of the kind in America ? " The whole document can be found in Ni/es^s American Revolution. 3 Washington, in a letter to Sir Isaac Heard, dated Philadelphia, May 2, 1792, says in answer to his queries about the genealogy, etc., of the Washington family, " This is a subject to which I confess I have paid very little attention." "The arms inclosed in your letter are the same that are held by the family here, etc." Mrs. Lewis, of Woodlawn, Va., has the little robe in which Washington was bap- tized. It is made of 'white silk lined with red (crimson) silk, and trimmed with blue ribbon, our national colors, red, white, blue. Lossing's Hist. Record, March, 1872. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 189 borne by their leader and deliverer. A few stars had, in the old chivalrous times, distinguished his ancestors from their compeers in the tournament, and upon the battle-field ; more stars and additional stripes, denoting the number of states that joined in the struggle now became the standard around which the patriots of the west so successfully rallied. It is not a lit- tle curious that the poor worn-out ray of feudalism, as so many would count it, should have expanded into the bright and am- ple banner that now waves from every sea." The assumption of this writer finds denial in the fact, that Washington has not in any of his correspondence or writings mentioned any connection of his arms with our flag, as he would have been most likely to have done had there been any, for he would certainly have been proud of the connection ; neither is there any allusion to the subject in the published correspond- ence of his contemporaries. 1 A correspondent of the New York Inquirer a few years since beautifully said : " Every nation has its symbolic ensign, some have beasts, some birds, some fishes, some reptiles in their ban- ners. Our fathers chose the stars and stripes, the red telling of the blood shed by them for their country, the blue of the heavens and their protection, and the stars of the separate states embodied in one nationality, ' E PluribuS Unum.' " * Alfred B. Street, in a paper on the Battle of Saratoga, alludes to our flag as first victoriously unfurled at the surrender of Bur- goyne, and says : " The stars of the new flag represent a constellation of states rising in the west. The idea was taken from the constellation Lyra, which in the hands of Orpheus signified harmony. The blue of the field was taken from the edges of the Covenanter's banner in Scotland, significant also of the league and covenant of the United Colonies against oppression, incidentally involving the 1 Mr. Haven in his paper before the New Jersey Historical Society, favors the supposition that in some way the devices for our flag were taken from the arms of the Washington family, and were used in the war out of respect to the commander-in-chief. He thinks the stars on the Washington shield may be of Roman origin. "Virgil speaks of returning to the stars, redire adastra, implying a home of peace and happiness , and we know the Romans worshipped the stars which bore the name of their gods. They also used scourges producing stripes on the bodies of those they punished." From these symbolic antecedents then we may, he says, " derive our star-bearing banner, the heaven-sent ensign of our union, freedom and independence, the stripes only to be used as a scourge to our enemies," etc. 190 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE virtues of vigilance, perseverance and justice. The stars were disposed in a circle, symbolizing the perpetuity of the union, the ring like the circling serpent of the Egyptians signifying eternity. The thirteen stripes showed with the stars the number of the United Colonies, and denoted the subordination of the states to the union, as well as equality among themselves. The whole was a blending of -the various flags, previous to the union flag, namely, the red flag of the army and the white ones of the floating batteries. The red color, which in Roman days was the signal of defiance, 1 denotes daring and the white purity." " What eloquence do the stars breathe when their full signifi- cance is known : a new constellation, union ; perpetuity ; a co- venant against oppression ; justice, equality, subordination, cou- rage and purity." I have been unable to find that his poetic and somewhat fanciful description is supported by any contemporaneous proof, or that it was ever required the stars should be arranged in a circle, though in Trumbull's painting of the Surrender of Bur- goyne, and Peale's portrait of Washington, the stars are so arranged by the artists. The resolution of June 14, 1777, says nothing about their arrangement in the Union. It does say, however, that they represent not Lyra or any other known heavenly cluster of stars, but a new constellation. The idea that the new constellation was a representation of Lyra is advocated by a variety of evidence in Schuyler Hamilton's History of the Flag, but I cannot deem it conclusive. The constellation of Lyra is the symbol of har- mony and unity, and consists of the requisite number of original stars, but to represent it in the union of a flag would be difficult and objectionable. When John Quincy Adams (whose father, John Adams, is said to have proposed Lyra as the emblem of union) was secretary of state in 1820, he gave color to the idea by re- moving the United States arms from the United States pass- ports, and substituting for them an engraving of a circle of thirteen stars, surrounding an eagle holding in his beak the con- stellation Lyra, and the motto, Nunc sidera ducit. Undoubtedly our revolutionary fathers at the outset when devising a national flag, met with difficulty in finding a device, at once simple, tasteful, inspiriting and easily manufactured. 1 Admiral Farragut unwittingly used the old Roman signal, when he designated two red lights as a signal for battle previous to passing the forts below New Orleans. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 191 The number of states whose unity was to be symbolized was a stumbling block. The stripes already represented them but what could be found to replace the crosses emblematic of the union of the kingdoms of Scotland and England, whose authority they had renounced forever ? The rattlesnake which for a time liad been used, as a symbol of the necessity of union and defiance rather than of union itself, was repulsive to many from its being kin to the tempter of our first parents, the cause of their expulsion from Paradise, and bearing also the curse of the Almighty. A mailed hand grasping a bundle of thirteen arrows had been a device for privateers, but rather than of union, that was a symbol of war and defiance. A round knot with thirteen floating ends was the beautiful device significant of strength in union, of the standard of the Philadelphia Light Horse. A checkered union of thirteen blue and white or blue and red squares, might have answered, but the odd number of the colonies prevented that or any similar device. Thirteen terrestrial objects, such as eagles, bears, trees, &c., would have been absurd, and equally so would have been thirteen suns or moons, besides the crescent was the chosen em- blem of Mahommedanism and therefore unfitted to represent a Christian people. Thirteen crosses would have shocked the sentiments of a large portion of the people, who looked upon the cross as an emblem of popish idolatry. There remained then nothing but the stars, and the creation of a new constellation to represent the birth of our rising republic. 1 No other object, heavenly or terrestrial, could have been more appropriate. They were of like form and size, typifying the similarity of the seve- ral states, and, grouped in a constellation, represented their unity. 1 An English writer in the following jeu tf 'esprit, a few years later, thus ridicules the fondness of the American colonists for the number thirteen : " Thirteen is a number peculiarly belonging to the rebels. A party of naval prisoners lately returned from Jersey, say that the rations among the rebels are thirteen dried clams per day 5 that the titular Lord Stirling takes thirteen glasses of grog every morning, has thirteen enormous rum bunches on his nose, and that (when duly impregnated) he always makes thirteen attempts before he can walk} that Mr. Washington has thirteen toes to his feet (the extra ones having grown since the declaration of independence) and the same number of teeth in each jaw j that the Sachem Schuyler has a topknot of thirteen stiff hairs which erect them- selves on the crown of his head when he grows mad 5 that old Putnam had thirteen pounds of his posterior bit off in an encounter with a Connecticut bear ('twas then he lost the balance of his mind) that it takes thirteen congress paper dollars to equal one penny sterling ; that Polly Wayne was just thirteen hours in subduing Stony Point, 192 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE It will probably never be clearly known who designed our union of stars. The records of congress are silent upon the subject, and I have been unable to find mention of it in any of the voluminous correspondence or diaries of the time, public or private, which has been published. It has been asked why the stars on our banner are five-pointed, while those on our coins are six-pointed, the answer is that the designer of our coins followed the English, and the designer of our flag the French custom. 1 In English heraldic language the star has six points ; in the heraldry of Holland, France and Germany, the star is five-pointed. In 1870, Mr. Wm. J. Canby, of Philadelphia, read before the Historical Society of Pennsylvania a paper on the History of the American Flag, in which he stated that his maternal grand- mother, Mrs. John Ross, 2 was the first maker and partial de- signer of the stars and stripes. The house where this first flag was made is still standing, No. 239 Arch St., below Third ; it is a little two-storied and attic tenement formerly No. 89, and was first occupied by Mrs. Ross after the death of her first husband. A committee of congress, of whom Col. George Ross was one, accompanied by General Washington, in June, 1776,2 called upon Mrs. Ross, who was an upholsterer, and engaged her to make the flag from a rough drawing which, according to her suggestions, was redrawn by General Washington in pencil " then and there in her back parlor." The flag as thus designed was adopted by congress, and was the first star spangled banner according to Mr. Canby, or for aught that is known to the con- trary which ever floated on the breeze. and as many seconds in leaving it ; that a well organized rebel household has thirteen children, all of whom expect to be generals and members of the high and mighty congress of the * thirteen united states' when they attain thirteen years j that Mrs. Washington has a mottled torn cat (which she calls in a complimentary way Hamil- ton) with thirteen yellow rings around his tail, and that his flaunting it suggested to the congress the adoption of the same number of stripes for the rebel flag." Jour- nal of Capt. Smythc, R. A,, Jan., 1780. 1 Editor Historical Magazine. 8 Mrs. Ross's maiden name was Griscom. After the death of Mr. Ross, she married second, Ashburn, who died a prisoner of war in Mill Prison, England ; and tJkird, John Claypole, the latter a lineal descendant of Oliver Cromwell. Mrs. Ross's first hus- band was the nephew of Col. George Ross, one of the signers of the declaration of independence. 3 Washington was called from New York to Philadelphia, June, 1776, to advise with congress on the state of affairs just previous to the declaration of independence, and was absent from New York fifteen days. Spartts's Washington, p. 177. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 193 Mrs. Ross received the employment of flag-making for go- vernment, and continued in it for many years. Three of Mrs. Ross's daughters were living when Mr. Canby wrote his paper, and confirm its statements, founding their belief not upon what they themselves saw for the incident occurred many years before their birth but upon what their mother had told them concerning it. A niece, Miss Margaret Boggs, then living at Germantown, aged ninety-five, was also cognizant of the fact. It is related by them, that when Col. George Ross and Gene- ral Washington visited Mrs. Ross and asked her to make the flag, she said, "I don't know whether I can, but I'll try;" and directly suggested to the gentlemen that the design was wrong in that the stars were, six-cornered and not five-cornered [pointed] as they should be. This was corrected, and other alterations made. Mr. Canby, in a letter to me on the subject, dated soon after the reading of his paper says : x " It is not tradition^ it is report from the lips of the principal participator in the transaction, directly told not to one or two, but a dozen or more living witnesses of whom I myself am one, though but a little boy when I heard it. I was eleven years old when Mrs. Ross died in our house, and well re- member her telling the story. My mother and two of her sisters are living and in good memory. I have, however, the narrative from the lips of the oldest one of my aunts, now deceased, re- duced to writing at the time (1857). This aunt, Mrs. Clarissa Wilson, a widow, succeeded to the business and continued mak- ing flags for the navy yard and arsenals here and elsewhere, and for the mercantile marine for many years until (being conscien- tious on the subject of war) she gave up the government busi- ness, but continued the mercantile until 1857. Washington was a frequent visitor at my grandmother's house before receiv- ing his command of the army. She embroidered his shirt ruffles, and did many other things for him. He knew her skill with the needle. Col. Ross with another who is thought to be Robt. Morris, 2 and Gen. Washington called upon Mrs. Ross, and told 1 Manuscript letter from W. J. Canby, March 29, 1870. 3 In a letter to me dated Nov. 9, 1871, Mr. Canby states that he has ascertained and is prepared to prove that the third gentleman was Robert Morris. He says also in the same letter he is prepared to " prove also by the evidence of newspapers of that period, and by passages in the colonial records of Pennsylvania that said flag had an existence during the year 1776." 25 194 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE her they were a committee of congress, and wanted her to make the flag from the drawing, a rough one, which upon her suggestions was redrawn by General Washington in pencil in her back-parlor. This was prior to the declaration of indepen- dence ; and I fix the date to be during Washington's visit to congress from New York in June, 1776, where he came, to con- fer upon the affairs of the army, the flag being no doubt one of these affairs." Mr Canby, in later letters, contends that the stars and stripes were in common if not general use soon after the declaration of independence, and nearly a year before the resolution of con- gress proclaiming them the flag of the United States of America. He says, he finds evidence of this in newspapers and in the fact that regiments were allowed compensation for altering their colors after July 4, 1776, and that Indian tribes during that year peti- tioned congress for a flag of the United States, 1 also from the state- ments of Miss Montgomery 2 that her father, Capt. Hugh Mont- gomery, early in July, 1776, hoisted the stars and stripes. Her statement is that Robert Morris, the financier, in the winter of 1775, chartered the brig Nancy commanded by Capt. Hugh Montgomery, her father, who was one of the owners of the brig. In March, 1776, she sailed for Porto Rico under English colors, -thence to other West India islands, finally to St. Thomas where when her cargo was nearly completed, information was received that independence was declared, and a description of the colors adopted. This was cheering intelligence to the captain, and would divest him of acting clandestinely. Now they could show their true colors. The material was at once procured, and a young man on board set to work privately to make them." He was well known in after years as Capt. Thomas Mendenhall. The number of men was increased, and the brig armed for de- 1 He probably refers to the following record which is dated eleven days earlier than the resolve giving birth to the new constellation : Philadelphia, June 3, 1777, Colonial Records, vol. 1 1, p. 212. The president laid before the council three strings of wampum which had been delivered to him some time before by Thomas Green, a nominal Indian of the nation, requesting that a flag of the United States might be delivered to him to take to the chiefs of the nation to be used by them for their security and protection, when they may have occasion to visit us their brethren, and that his Excellency had referred him to congress for an answer to his request. 2 Reminiscences of Wilmington in familiar tillage Tales, ancient and neiv } by Elizabeth Montgomery. Philadelphia: T. K. Collins, Jr., 1851, p. 176-9. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 195 fence, and all things put in order. The day they sailed the captain and a Mr. A. S. had invited the governor and suite with twenty other gentlemen on board to dine. A sumptuous dinner was cooked ; and a sea turtle being prepared gave it the usual name of a turtle feast. "As the custom house barges approached with the company, they were ordered to lay on their oars while a salute of thir- teen guns was fired. Amid this firing this young man was ordered to haul down the English flag and hoist the first Ameri- can stars ever seen in a foreign port. 1 Cheers for the national congress, cries of ' Down with the lion ; up with the stars and stripes' were shouted. This novelty caused great excitement to the numberless vessels then lying in the harbor, and to the distinguished guests it was a most animating scene. After the entertainment was hurried over they returned in their boats, and the brig was soon under full sail." Such is Miss Montgomery's statement, and she narrates the Nancy's approach to our coast and her being run ashore and blown up to avoid capture by a British fleet, and says, " one tottering mast with the national flag flying seemed only left to guess her fate. Still a quantity of powder and merchandise was left below, and it was resolved ere she was abandoned, to prevent these stores from falling into the hands of the enemy by blowing her up. The plan was arranged so that the men could have time to leave, and the captain and four hands were the last to quit. As the boat distanced the wreck, one man, John Hancock, jumped overboard, as he said 4 to save the beloved banner or perish in the attempt.' His movement was so sudden that no chance was afforded to pre- vent his boldness, and they looked on with terror to see him ascend the shivering mast, and deliberately unfasten the flag, then plunge into the sea and bear it to the shore." The enemy taking this act as a signal of surrender, hastened in their boats, says Miss Montgomery, u to take possession of the prize, and was in vol ved in the subsequent explosion." Miss Montgomery's nar- rative proves, if it proves any thing, not that her father hoisted the stars and stripes, as she asserts, but the continental flag in place of the English ensign, for the Nancy was blown up on 1 A beautiful mezzotinto engraving of the Nancy, flying the stars and stripes fur- nishes a frontispiece to Miss Montgomery's Reminiscences. 196 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE the 29th of June, 1 five days before the declaration of independ- ence, and before a drawing of Mrs. Ross's flag could have reached her in the West Indies. On the 24th of Feb., 1776, the committee of safety at Phila- delphia ordered " that Capt. Proctor procure a flag stafF for the fort with a flag of the United Colonies," 2 and that Commodore Caldwell and Capt. Proctor fix upon proper signals for the fleet, merchantmen and battery. Under date August 19, 1776, Capt. Wm. Richards writes to the Pennsylvania council of safety : u Gentlemen, I hope you have agreed what sort of color I am to have made for the galleys etc., as they are much wanted; " and under date " Oct. 15, 1776: Gentlemen, the commodore was with me this morning and says the fleet has not any colors to hoist if they should be called to duty. It is not in my power to get them done, until there is a design to make the colors by" 3 The colors he wanted a design for were probably state colors, but the request shows that no national colors had been adopted, and that the continental flag was still in use. The portrait of Washington at the battle of Trenton, painted by Chas. Wilson Peale in 1779, has a representation of a union jack with the thirteen stars arranged in a circle, but it affords 1 Philadelphia, June 29, 1776. The brig Nancy, Captain Montgomery, of six three pounders and eleven men from St. Croix and St. Thomas, for this port, with three hundred and eighty-six barrels of gunpowder, fifty firelocks, one hundred and one hogsheads of rum, and sixty-two hogsheads of sugar, etc., on board, in the morning of the 29th of June, when standing for Cape May, discovered six sail of men-of-war, tenders, etc., making towards him, as also a row-boat. The boat and tenders he soon after engaged and beat off", stood close along shore, and got assistance from Cap- tain Wickes and Barry, when it was agreed to run the brig ashore, which was done ; and under favor of a fog, they saved two hundred and sixty-eight barrels of powder, fifty arms, and some dry goods, when the fog clearing away, Captain Montgomery discovered the enemy's ships very near him, and five boats coming to board the brig, on which he started a quantity of powder in the cabin, and fifty pounds in the main- sail, in the folds of which he put fire, and then quitted her. The men-of-war's boats (some say two, some three) boarded the brig, and took possession of her with three cheers ; soon after which the fire took the desired effect, and blew the pirates forty or fifty yards into the air and much shattered one of their boats under her stern, eleven dead bodies have since come on shore, with two gold-laced hats and a leg with a garter. From the number of limbs floating and driven ashore, it is sup- posed thirty or forty of them were destroyed by the explosion. A number of people from on board our ships of war, and a number of the inhabitants of Cape May, mounted a gun on shore, with which they kept up a fire at the barges, which the men-of-war, etc., returned, and killed Mr. Wickes, third lieutenant of the contin- ental ship Reprisal, and wounded a boy in the thigh. American Archives, vol. vi, p. 1132 C4th series^). 2 Penn. Colonial Records, vol. x, page 494. 3 Penn. Archives, vol. v, pages 13 and 14. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 197 only presumptive proof that such a flag was carried at that battle. Mr. Peale's son, Titian R. Peale, writing recently to my friend, Mr. McAllister, says," whether it (the union jack) was my father's design, original or not, I cannot say, but I suppose it was, because he has somewhat marred the artistic effect by showing the stars, and flattening the field to show their arrange- ment" ; and in another letter to the same gentleman," I have just had time to visit the Smithsonian Institution to see the portrait of Washington painted by my father C. W. Peale after the battle of Trenton. It is marked in his handwriting 1779. The flag represented, is a blue field with white stars arranged in a circle. I don't know that I ever heard my father speak of that flag, but the trophies at Washington's feet, I know he painted from the flags then captured, and which were left with him for the purpose. He was always very particular in matters of historic record in his pictures (the service sword in that picture is an instance, and probably caused its acceptance by congress). The blue ribbon has also excited comment the badge of field marshal of France in that day. 1 I have no other authority, but feel assured that flag was the flag of our army at the time 1 779. My father commanded a company at the battles of Germantown, Trenton, Princeton, and Monmouth, and was soldier as well as painter, and I am sure represented the flag then in use, not a regimental flag, but one to mark the new republic." When the declaration of independence was received at Easton, Pennsylvania, the colonel and all the other field officers of the first battalion repaired to the court house, the light infantry company marching there with their drums beating, fifes playing, " and the standard, (the device for which is the thirteen United Colonies), which was ordered to be displayed." 2 The declaration was read in New York in the presence of Washington by one of his aids, on the gth of July, 1776, in the centre of a hollow square of the troops drawn up on the Park near where there now is a fountain, and it is morally certain the grand union flag of Cambridge was then if it had not been earlier, unfurled in New York. 1 Washington's general order July 24, 1775, prescribes a broad purple ribbon as the distinguishing mark of a major general, see note ante, page I 57. 3 Pennsylvania Evening Post, July 1 1, 1776. 198 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE The first anniversary of the declaration of independence, July 4, 1777, was celebrated in Philadelphia with demonstrations of joy and festivity. About noon all the armed ships and galleys in the river were drawn up before the city, dressed in the gayest manner with the colors of the United States, and streamers flying. At one o'clock the yards being properly manned they began the celebration of the day by a discharge of thirteen cannon from each ship, and one from each of the thirteen galleys in honor of the thirteen United States. In the afternoon an elegant dinner was provided by congress, toasts were drank, feu-de-joies were fired, the troops reviewed by congress and the general officers, and the day closed with the ringing of bells, the exhibition of fireworks which began and ended with thirteen rockets, and the city beautifully illuminated. 1 Similar rejoicings and displays of the flag of the United States were had all over the country. Paul Jones has claimed that it was his good fortune to be the first to display the stars and stripes on a naval vessel, as it had been to hoist with his own hand the continental flag, or " flag of America," as he called it, for the first time on board the Alfred. He also claimed to have obtained and received for our star spangled banner, the first salute granted to it in Europe. The same day that congress passed the resolve in relation to the flag of the thirteen United States, June 14, 1777, it also " Re- solved, that Paul Jones be appointed to the command of the Ranger," and soon after he hoisted the new flag on board of that vessel at Portsmouth. The Ranger, however, did not get to sea until the ist of November, five months later. Her battery was sixteen six-pounders, throwing only 48 pounds of shot from a broadside, an armament which excites a smile of contempt in these days of heavy guns, and she was otherwise very poorly equipped. Among other deficiencies Jones laments having only thirty gallons of rum for the crew to drink on their passage to Nantes. He also represented her as slow and crank, yet he managed to capture two prizes, on his passage to Europe and reached Nantes in thirty days from Portsmouth. From Nantes, Jones sailed to Quiberon bay, convoying some American vessels, and placing them under the protection and 1 Pennsylvania Journal, July 9, 1777. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 1Q9 convoy of the French fleet commanded by Admiral La Motte Piquet. From him, after some correspondence, Jones suc- ceeded in obtaining the first salute ever paid by a foreign naval power to the stars and stripes. The story of this event is best told in Jones's letter to the naval committee, dated Feb. 22, 1778: " I am happy (he says,) to have it in my power to con- gratulate on my having seen the American flag, for the first time, recognized in the fullest and completest manner by the flag of France. I was off this bay on the I3th inst, and sent my boat in the next day to know if the admiral would return my salute. He answered that he would return to me as the senior American continental officer in Europe, the same salute as he was authorized to return to an admiral of Holland, or any other republic, which was four guns less than the salute given. I hesitated at this,y^r I bad demanded gun for gun. " Therefore I anchored in the entrance of the bay at a dis- tance from the French fleet ; but after a very particular inquiry on the J4th, finding that he really told the truth, I was induced to accept his offer, the more as it was an acknowledgment of American Independence. "The wind being contrary and blowing hard it was after sunset before the Ranger 1 was near enough to salute La Motte Piquet with thirteen guns, which he returned with nine. How- ever, to put the matter beyond a doubt, I did not suffer the Independence to salute until the next morning, when I sent word to the admiral that I would sail through his fleet in the brig, and would salute him in open day. He was exceedingly pleasant, and returned the compliment also with nine guns." As though providence delighted to honor Jones above all others in connection with our flag, and was determined to entwine his name with its early history, to him was assigned the honorable duty of displaying it for the first time on board the first ship of the line built for the United States, and fitly named The America. 1 Jones, in his letter to the American commissioners at Paris, dated Brest, May 27, 1778, mentions that in the action between the Ranger and the Drake on the 24th of April preceding, when the latter hoisted the English colors, *' the American stars were displayed on board the Ranger." SherburnSs Life of Jones. The Ranger was taken with other vessels in the Port of Charleston, S. C., on the surrender of that city to the British. Charnoclis Biographic Navalis, vol. vi, p. 5. 200 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE This ship, like the Ranger, was built at Portsmouth, N. H., and Jones was appointed to the command of her. Before she could be launched, the Magnifique, one of the finest seventy-fours of the French navy, was stranded in Boston harbor, and to replace her, the America was by a resolve of the American congress presented to the French sovereign our ally. Jones, however, was retained in the command of her superintending her construction, and on the 5th of Nov., 1782, displaying the French and American flags from her stern, he launched her into the waters of Portsmouth harbor, and delivered her to the Chevalier Martigne, who had commanded the Magnifique. It is probable that Jones hoisted the stars and stripes on board of her the preceding summer when at his own expense, he cele- brated the birth-day of the dauphin of France, as it is recorded that the ship on that occasion was decorated with the flags of different nations, that of France being in front, and that salutes were fired, and at night the ship brilliantly illuminated, etc. The first military incident connected with the flag we have to relate, occurred on the 2d of August, 1777, when Lieuts. Bird and Brant invested Fort Stanwix, or Schuyler, then commanded by Col. Peter Gansevoort. The garrison was without a flag when the enemy appeared, but their pride and ingenuity soon supplied one in conformity to the pattern just adopted by the continental congress. Shirts were cut up to form the white stripes, bits of scarlet cloth were joined for the red, and the blue ground for the stars was composed of a cloth cloak belonging to Captain Abraham Swartwout of Dutchess county who was then in the fort. Before sunset the curious mosaic work standard, as precious to the beleaguered garrison as the most beautiful wrought flag of silk and needle work, was floating over one of the bastions. The siege was raised on the 22d of August, but we are not told what became of the improvised flag. The narrative of Col. Marinus Willett's services presents a somewhat different version of this story. He says: " the fort had never been supplied with a flag. The necessity of having one had, upon the arrival of the enemy, taxed the invention of the garrison a little, and a decent one was soon contrived. The white stripes were cut out of ammunition shirts furnished by the soldiers ; the blue out of the camlet cloak taken from the enemy at Peeks- FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 201 kill ; while the red stripes were made of different pieces of stuff procured from one and another of the garrison." In his statement to Gov. Trumbull, Aug. 21, 1777, of the occurrences at and near Fort Stanwix, Col. Willett mentions among the results of his sally from the fort on the 6th, preceding, that he captured and brought off five of the enemy's colors, the whole of which on his return to the fort, were displayed on the flag staff under the impromptu made continental flag. x Mr. Haven in his paper before the New Jersey Historical Society says : cc From traditional reports on circulation here [Trenton] the first time that our national flag was used after the enactment concerning it by congress, was by General Wash- ington in the hurried and critical stand made by him on the banks of the Assanpink, when he repulsed Cornwallis in 1777. As this conflict was the turning point in connection with what suc- ceeded at Princeton, of the struggle for independence, and the glorious consequences which followed, does not this signal baptism of the stars and stripes, with the hope and confidence re- generated by it, seem providential ? Freedom's vital spark was then rekindled, and our own country and the whole civilized world are now illumined with its beams." Beyond doubt the thirteen stars and thirteen stripes were unfurled at the battle of the Brandywine, Sept. n, 1777, eight days after the official promulgation of them at Philadelphia, and at Germantown on the 4th of October following ; that they witnessed the operations against and final surrender of Burgoyne, after the battle of Saratoga, Oct. 17, 1777 ; that the sight of this new constellation helped to cheer the patriots of the army amid their sufferings around the camp fires at Valley Forge the en- suing winter; that they waved triumphant at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, Sept. 19, 1781 ; looked down upon the evacuation of New York, Nov. 25, 1783 ; and shared in all the glories of the latter days of the revolution. On the 28th of Jan., 1778, the stars and stripes for the first time waved over a foreign fortress. About eleven o'clock the night previous, the American sloop of war Providence, 2 Capt. 1 Lossing's Field Book American Revolution, vol. I, p. 242. 2 The Providence was captured when Charleston was taken. 26 202 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE John Rathburne, mounting twelve four-pounders, with a crew of fifty men, landed twenty-five of her crew on the island of New Providence. They were joined by about eighteen or twenty Americans escaped from British prison ships, and who were waiting an opportunity to return home. This small body of men took possession of Fort Nassau, with the cannon, ammu- nition and 300 stand of small arms. In the port lay a sixteen-gun ship, with a crew of forty-five men, and five vessels, all prizes to the British sloop Grayton. At daybreak four men were sent on board the sixteen-gun ship to take possession of her, and send the officers and crew into the fort. Her prize captain was shown the American flag hoisted on the fort, and informed that his ship would be instantly sunk, should he hesitate to surrender. Thus intimidated, he gave her up, and the other five prize vessels were secured in a similar manner. Possession was also taken of the western fort, its cannon spiked, and its powder and small arms removed to Fort Nassau. About twelve o'clock, some 200 armed people assembled and threat- ened to attack the fort ; but on being informed if they fired a -single gun, the town should be laid in ashes, they dispersed. Soon after, the Providence anchored in the roads, the British ship Grayton hove in sight. The American colors were im- mediately taken down, and the guns of the Providence housed, hoping the Grayton would come to anchor. But the inhabitants signaled to her the state of affairs and she stood off. The fort opened fire upon her, but she made her escape. About three o'clock the next morningsome^oo men with seve- ral pieces of artillery marched within sight of the fort and sum- moned it to surrender, threatening at the same time to storm the place, and put all to the sword without mercy. The Americans, however in the presence of the messenger, nailed their colors to the flag-staff, and returned answer that while a man of them sur- vived they would not surrender. The following morning the prizes were manned, the guns of the fort spiked, the ammunition and small arms conveyed on board the Providence, and the whole American garrison was em- barked and put to sea, after having held possession of the fort two days. Two of the prizes were burnt, being of little value, the others were sent to the United States.' FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 203 When the news that the treaty of alliance with France (the first treaty of our new republic with a foreign .power) had been signed at Paris, Feb. 6, 1778,* was received, Gen. Washington from his head quarters at Valley Forge issued orders on May id, that the following day should be set apart, " for gratefully ac- knowledging the divine goodness and celebrating the important event which we owe to his benign interposition." Accordingly the army was reviewed by the commander-in-chief with banners waving, and at given signals, after the discharge of thirteen cannon and a running fire of infantry, the whole army huzzaed, ;t long live the king of France," then after a like salute of thirteen guns and a second general discharge of musketry, "Huzza : long live the friendly European powers !" Then a final discharge of thirteen pieces of artillery followed by a general running fire and "Huzza, for the American States!" 2 The officers approached the place of entertainment thirteen abreast and closely linked in each other's arms, thus signifying the thirteen American states j and the interweaving of arms a com- plete union and most perfect confederation. A full account of this joyful occasion can be found in the New Jersey Gazette, May 13, 1778, New Tork Journal, June 15, and is copied in Frank Moore's Diary of the Revolution, vol. n, p. 4852. 1 Pennsylvania Packet, March 28, 1778. 2 The French alliance was looked upon as a wonderful interposition of providence in favor of the country, and every measure that could be adopted was taken to extend a sentiment of confidence in the result of the struggle after this happy event. As one of the means of effecting this end, the following curious statement was made and published throughout the United States : Wonderful Appearances and Omens. 1. After the surrender of Burgoyne, and while the treaty of alliance with France was on the carpet, the American heavens were illuminated at intervals for whole months together. The aurora borealis, or northern lights, were the greatest ever seen in America. 2. When the fleet of his most Christian majesty, twelve ships of the line, and by the capture of a British ship offeree, thirteen, and commanded by the admiral, the illus- trious D'Estaing hove in sight of our capes, the artillery of the skies was discharged and thirteen thunders were distinctly heard on the coast of the Delaware. 3. On the morning after the arrival of his plenipotentiary, the illustrious Gerard, being the thirteenth of the month an aloe tree the only one in this State im- mediately shot forth its spire, which it never does but once in its existence, and in some other climates only once in one hundred years. It has been planted forty years in the neighborhood of this city, and previously only produced four leaves a year, until this year, when it produced thirteen. The spire is remarkable, being thirteen inches round, and having grown thirteen feet in the first thirteen days. The Scotch talk much of the thistle, and the South Britons of the Glastenbury thorn. Much finer things may be said of the aloe of America and thefeur de Us of France. Wtscotfs History of Philadelphia, published in Sunday Dispatch, April, 204 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE The next interesting incident connected with the new constel- lation we have to narrate occurred on the yth of March, 1778, when the continental ship, Randolph, thirty-two, Capt. Nicholas Biddle, was blown up in an engagement with the Yarmouth, sixty-four, to the eastward of Barbadoes. The two ships were in such close action that many fragments of the Randolph struck the Yarmouth, and among other things an American ensign rolled up was blown in upon the forecastle of the Yarmouth. The flag was not singed. Cooper in his novel, Le Feu Follet, seizes upon this incident, when he describes the flag of that rover after her sudden disappearance as washed upon the forecastle of the ship in chase. A model of the Randolph has been preserved, and in 1842 was to be seen in the hall of the Naval Asylum at Phil- adelphia. In the agreement (June, 1779), between John Paul Jones, captain of the Bon Homme Richard, Pierre Landais, captain of the Alliance, Dennis Nicolas Cottineaux, captain of the Pallas, Joseph Varage, captain of the Le Cerf, and Philip Nico- las Recot, captain of the Vengeance, it was expressly stipulated that the Franco-American squadron should fly the flag of the United States, and that it should be commanded by the oldest officer of the highest grade, and so on in succession in case of death or retreat. The frigate Alliance, so named in honor of the treaty with France, commanded by the obstinate, ill-tempered Frenchman, Landais, was the only American-built vessel of the squadron. At the annual meeting of the New Jersey Historical Society, Jan., 1872, Mr. C. C. Haven made some interesting remarks concerning the supposed origin of our flag, in the course of which he said that in the conflict between the Bon Homme Richard and Serapis, James Bayard Stafford was cut down by a British officer, but rescued and rehoisted her flag " which probably had no stars or stripes." As that action was fought Sept. 23, 1779, more than two and a half years after their establishment by congress, and the agreement of June, 1779, just recited, stipulates that the American squadron should fly the flag of the United States, Mr. Haven is evidently in error. Moreover, Freneau, in his poem on " that memorable victory of Paul Jones," thus alludes to the flag: FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 205 "Go on, great man, to scourge the foe, And bid the haughty Britons know They to our Thirteen stars shall bend : The stars that clad in dark attire Long glimmered with a feeble fire, But radiant now ascend." Mr. Haven also stated that Miss Sarah S. Stafford, a descend- ant of the brave man before named, has in her possession the ori- ginal flag which was presented to Capt. Barry of the Alliance in 1779, and which " shows twelve stars and stripes in an azure field" The Alliance was launched in 1777, was commanded in 1778-79 by Pierre Landais and not until 1781-82 by Capt. Barry ; possibly he may have been presented with the flag alluded to when in command of some other ship and at an earlier date. The Pennsylvania Gazette of April 23, 1783, contains the re- solve respecting the flag of June 14, 1777, and requests that the printers insert the resolution in their respective newspapers in order that the same may be generally known. The same paper states that "at a meeting of the respectable inhabitants of Pittsgrove and the town adjacent, in Salem county, state of New Jersey, for the celebration of peace, the day was introduced with the raising of a monument of great height on which was dis- played the ensign of peace with thirteen stripes." Another number of the same Gazette* under date Phila- delphia, May 21, 1783, says : " It is positively asserted that the flag of the thirteen United States of America has been grossly insulted in New York and not permitted to be hoisted on board any American vessel in that port. Congress should demand immediate reparation for the indignity wantonly offered to all America, and unless satisfactory concessions are instantly made, the British flag which now streams without interruption in our harbor, Philadelphia, should be torn down and treated with every mark of indignation and contempt. The 25th of Nov., 1783, is memorable in the history of our flag ; as the day fixed upon for the evacuation of New York by the British troops. On the morning of that day, a cold, frosty, clear but brilliant morning, General Knox marched to the ^Pennsylvania Gazette, May 2,8, 1783. 206 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE Bowery lane, and remained until I P.M., when the British left their posts and marched to Whitehall. The American troops followed, and before 3 p. M., Gen. Knox took possession of Fort George. The British claimed the right of possession until noon. A man who kept a boarding house run up the American flag in the morning, the first displayed in the city. Cunningham, the British provost marshal, ordered it down, and on the man's refusal to take it down, attempted to pull it down himself. The proprietor's wife, a stout woman, fair, fat and forty, came at and beat Cunningham so vigorously over the head with her broom- stick, that he was obliged to decamp and leave the star spangled banner waving. A Dr. Anderson, who was a witness and living in i86o,rememberedseeingthepowderfly from Cunningham's wig. The original flag hoisted on the evacuation of the city, was for a long time preserved in the American Museum at New York, and destroyed when that building was burnt. Mr. Barnum wrote me (Nov. 22, 1871) that the flag was well authenticated when presented to Mr. Scudder, founder of the Museum in 1810. The flag was bunting, about 9 or 10 feet wide by 12 or 15 in length, and had the thirteen stars and stripes, but the arrangement of the stars is not remembered. It was always run out in front of the Museum on the anniversaries of evacuation day and 4th of July, and was always saluted by the military when passing. 1 At the conclusion of the revolutionary struggle on the 28th of Feb., 1784, the officers of the line of the Rhode Island conti- nental battalion presented to the assembly the colors they had so gallantly borne, with the following address : To the Honorable^ the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations : The officers of the line of this state beg liberty to approach this honorable assembly with the warmest gratitude, upon ex- changing their military employment for the rank of citizens ; the glorious objects of the late controversy with Great Britain being happily accomplished, they resume their former conditions with a satisfaction peculiar to freemen. If they have deserved 1 Manuscript letter, from P. T. Barnum, Nov. az, 1871. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 207 the approbation of their country ; if they have gained the confi- dence of the states; if they have endured hardships and en- countered difficulties, they feel themselves still indebted for your constant attention in every period of the war. If their conduct in the field ; if their wounds, and the blood of their companions, who have nobly fallen by their side, have entitled them to any share in the laurels of their countrymen, they are fully rewarded in surrendering to your honors, upon this occa- sion, the standards of their corps, which have often been dis- tinguished by the bravery of your soldiers, upon the most critical and important occasions. They beg you will be pleased to accept them, with their most cordial acknowledgments, and be assured of the profound deference with which they have the honor to be Your most obedient humble servants, JEREMIAH OLNEY. Providence, February 28, A.D. 1784. In behalf of the officers. The committee to whom this address was referred prepared the following answer, which the assembly voted should be en- grossed in a fair copy by the secretary, and signed by his excellency the governor, and the honorable the speaker in be- half of the assembly, and presented by the secretary to Colonel Jeremiah Olney; and that the standards should be carefully preserved under the immediate care of the governor, to per- petuate the noble exploits of the brave corps : GENTLEMEN : The governor and company, in general assem- bly convened, with the most pleasing sensations, receive your affectionate and polite address. They congratulate you upon the happy termination of a glorious war, and upon your return to participate with citizens and freemen in the blessings of peace. With peculiar satisfaction they recollect the bravery and good conduct of the officers of the line of this state, who after suffering all the toils and fatigues of a long and bloody contest, crowned with laurels have reassumed domestic life. They are happy in receiving those standards, which have been often displayed with glory and bravery, in the face of very 208 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE powerful enemies, and will carefully preserve the same, to com- memorate the achievements of so brave a corps. We are, gentlemen, in behalf of both houses of assembly, with respect and esteem, your very humble servants, WILLIAM GREENE, Governor. WILLIAM BRADFORD, Speaker. February 28, A.D. 1784. To the officers of the line of this state's late continental battalion. 1 These colors are preserved in the office of the secretary of state of Rhode Island, and from a recent examination of them I obtain the following description. 2 No. I is of white silk, ninety inches long and sixty-five inches wide, and contains thirteen gilt stars in the corner, on a very light blue ground (probably faded with time.) The outline of each star is marked with a darker shade of blue, with a shadow on the left side, thereby making the gilt star more prominent. The relative position of the stars in parallel lines is shown in fig. 1 5 pi. vi. In the centre of the flag is an anchor and a piece of rope twining around it, of light blue silk, the same shade as the blue union, sewed on. Above the anchor is a scroll painted in oil colors, inscribed " Hope," the motto of this state. The oil and paint have so rotted the silk that this part of the flag is gone, otherwise save a little of the edge which is torn and worn away the flag is entire. At the commencement of the war of the rebellion, this flag was taken to Washington by the 2d Rhode Island regiment, but was soon returned. Flag No. 2 is of white silk, fifty-one inches in width and its present length forty-five inches, but a portion of the fly is gone and the flag is much torn. It contains a light blue corner or canton of silk sewed on to a white field of silk. The canton contains thirteen white five- pointed stars or mullets painted on the silk and arrangecTin par- allel lines as in No. I, though not so well formed. In the centre of the field of the flag painted on both sides there is a scroll 1 Rhode Island Colonial Records, vol. x, pp. 14 and 15. 3 From letters of Hon. J. R. Bartlett, secretary of state of Rhode Island, Dec. 2,6, 1871, and Jan. 4, 1872. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 209 upon which was painted R. ISLAND REGT. Both these flags are regimental, and not blazoned with stripes. The date of their being presented to the regiments has not been preserved. THE STARS AND STRIPES FROM THE PEACE OF 1783 TO 1795. The independence of the United States of America having been recognized and assured by Great Britain, the power whose allegiance they had repudiated, the stars and stripes became henceforward the recognized symbol of a new nation, and their history an exhibit of its military, naval, civil, and commercial progress. Many Incidents personal to its history remain, how- ever, which it will be interesting for us to narrate. It will also be our pheasant duty to chronicle its first appearance in various places, and its progress in peace as well as its triumphs in war. The treaty of peace with Great Britain had no sooner been announced than the white wings of our commerce began to ex- pand all over the watery globe under the genial union of the stars and stripes, displaying them everywhere to the wondering gaze of the most distant nations, and furthermost isles of the seas. The honor of having first hoisted the stars and stripes after the treaty of peace in a British port has been claimed for several vessels, and has been the occasion of considerable con- troversy, in which claimants for Newburyport, Philadelphia, Nantucket, and New Bedford have taken part. After a careful examination of all the conflicting accounts, I am clearly of opinion that to the ship Bedford of Nantucket, Capt. Wm. Mooers, and owned by Wm. Rotch, of New Bed- ford, must be assigned the honor. 1 A London periodical, published in 1783, has this account of her arrival in the Thames : x " The ship Bedford, Capt. Moores, belonging to Massachu- setts, arrived in the Downs on the 3d of Feb., passed Graves- end the 3d, and was reported at the custom house on the 6th ^The Political Magazine ; Barnard 1 1 History of England (page 705), a somewhat rare book, contains the same account. The American and British Chronicle of War and Politics under date " Feb. 7, 1783," also records, " First American ship in the Thames, from Nantucket. 27 210 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE inst. She was not allowed regular entry until some consultation had taken place between the commissioners of the customs and the lords of council on account of the many acts of parliament in force against the rebels of America. She was loaded with 487 butts of whale oil, is American built, manned wholly by Ameri- can seamen, wears the rebel colors, and belongs to the island of Nantucket, in Massachusetts. This is the first vessel which has displayed the thirteen rebellious stripes of America in any British port. The vessel is at Horsledown, a little below the Tower, and is intended to return immediately to New England." In a summary of parliamentary debates contained in the same magazine, under date Feb. yth: tc Mr. Hammet begged leave to inform the house of a very recent and extraordinary event. There was, he said, at the time of his speaking, an American ship in the Thames wtth the thirteen stripes flying on board. The ship had offered to enter at the custom house, but the officers were all at a loss how to behave. His motive for mentioning the subject was that minis- ters might take such steps with the American commissioners as would secure free intercourse between this country and America." Another London newspaper of the same date reports the Bedford " as the first vessel that has entered the river belonging to the United States." And an original letter from Peter Van Schaack, dated London, Feb. 19, 1783, contains this paragraph : " One or two vessels with the thirteen stripes flying are now in the river Thames, and their crew caressed." The Gentleman' 's Magazine for 1783, corroborates these state- ments, and says: "Monday, Feb. 3, 1783: Two vessels were entered at the custom house from Nantucket, an American island near Rhode Island : a third ship is in the river. They are entirely laden with oil, and come under a pass from Admiral Digby, the inhabitants having agreed to remain neutral during the war." If further confirmation of the Bedford being the first to dis- play the stars and stripes in the Thames is necessary, we have it in the following letter from William Rotch, Jr., one of her owners. There is a discrepancy respecting the date of her dis- play of the stars and stripes; but his letter was written nearly sixty years after the event he narrates, and it may be presumed FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 211 the contemporaneous accounts are right in that respect and that he is wrong. New Bedford, 8th mo. 3d, 1842. DEAR FRIEND : In my reply to thy letter of the 2ist ult., re- ceived last evening, according to the best of my recollection, my father had a vessel built by Ichabod Thomas at North river, just before the revolution, for himself and Champion & Dickason, of London, for the London trade. After the war commenced, she laid at Nantucket several years, until a license was pro- cured for her to go to London, with a cargo of oil, Timothy Folger, commander. Several gentlemen from Boston took passage in her, among whom were the late Gov. Winthrop, Thos. K. Jones, Hutchinson, and some others whose names I do not recollect. In 1781, Admiral Digby granted thirty licenses for our vessels to go after whales. I was then connected with my father and I. Rodman in business. Considerable oil was obtained in 1782. In the fall of that year I went to New York and procured from Admiral Digby licenses for the Bedford^ Wm. Mooers, master, and I think the Industry , John Chadwick, master. They loaded. The Bedford sailed first, and arrived in the Downs on the 23d of February, the day of the signing of the preliminary treaty of peace between the United States, France, and England ! x and went up to London and there displayed for the first time the United States flag. The Industry arrived afterwards, and was, I suppose, the second to display it. The widow of George Hayley, who did much business with New England, would visit the old Bedford and see the flag displayed. She was the sister of the celebrated John Wilkes. "We sent the sloop Speedwell to Aux Cayes (St. Domingo). She was taken and carried into Jamaica, but her captain was released one day after. By the treaty the war ceased in that latitude, and she was released when she showed the first United States flag there. On her return home, everything was very low by the return of peace. We put on board two hundred boxes of candles, and with William Johnson (whose widow I learned lives at Quassi) as supercargo, sent her to Quebec. Where hers, was the first United States flag exhibited. 212 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE Should thee wish any further information within my recollec- tion, I will freely communicate it. I am, with love to thy wife, Thy affectionate Friend, WM. ROTCH, Jun. 1 Thomas Kempton, of New Bedford, who was living in 1866 said the Bedford was built at New Bedford before the year 1770, probably by James Lowden, as he was the proprietor of the only ship yard there at that time. She was first rigged as a schooner, afterwards changed to a brig, and finally rebuilt, raised upon, furnished with an additional deck, and rigged as a ship. After all these alterations she measured 170 or 180 tons. 2 No portrait of her has been preserved, and her history after this notable cruise, is unknown. The coinciding testimony of several cptemporary English peri- odicals, the discussion in parliament, the evidence of Barnard's History and the agreeing statement of one of her owners, seem con- clusive that the Bedford was the first vessel to hoist the stars and stripes in a British port. The honor has, however, been claimed for the ship United States of Boston, owned by John Han- cock ; for a Newburyport ship, the Comte de Grasse, Nicholas Johnson, master; for the ship William Penn of Philadelphia Capt. Josiah, 3 and for the the bark Maria belonging to the owners of the Bedford. In 1859, tnere were three veterans living in Nantucket who well remembered the Bedford, and who were deeply impressed with her departure for England, which, after the sufferings of 1 The London papers of the 6th, as we have seen, notice the Bedford's arrival on the 3d. The preliminary treaty of peace was signed at Paris Nov. 30, 1782 ; but its first publication was in a postscript to the London papers, Jan. 28, 1783. The treaty was*ot signed until September. a The Bedford returned to Nantucket and entered at the custom house May 31, 1783, from London. She made a voyage to the Brazils 1773-1776. The tea ships whose cargoes were turned into Boston harbor Dec. 16, 1773, were freighted by the Rotches for the East India Co., and " a few years since the freight for that tea was paid for, every dollar of it, to the said Rotches by the East India Co. of London." Ms. Letter of F. C. Sanfordof Nantuckct, Oct. 29, 1871. Wm. Rotch, Jun., died at New Bedford, April 17, 1850. 3 A correspondent of the Philadelphia Sunday Dispatch, Dec., 1871, says, that when Capt. Josiah displayed the American flag in England he commanded the An- drea Doria. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 213 the long and distressing war, seemed like sending out a harbinger of peace. The preliminaries of peace were signed on the 3Oth of Nov., 1782, but up to the 2 ist of Jan., 1783, it was only known as a rumor in the British capital. The first publication of the terms of a treaty of peace was Jan. 28, 1783, in a postscript of the London papers about a week before the arrival of the Bedford. The king's proclamation was not published until the I5th of Feb., twelve days after her arrival. The news was first received in Boston, April 23d, but the treaty was not signed until September. It is no wonder then when the master of the Bedford appeared and demanded to enter his vessel at the custom house with her cargo of oil, coming from a country and people who were still considered rebels, his appearance should create some consternation. That under the circumstances there should have been some hesitancy in entering her was as natural, as that her arrival should be noted and remembered. Capt. Wm. Mooers, the master of the Bedford, is tradition- ally reported as one of nature's noblemen, and his remarkable prowess as a whaleman is familiar to all who have made them- selves acquainted with that hazardous branch of our national enterprise. Erect and commanding in appearance, standing over six feet and weighing more than two hundred, he would have been a marked man out of a thousand. The Madame Hayley, alluded to in Mr. Rotch's letter, was a sister of John Wilkes, and a valuable friend to Boston and Ame- rica during the revolution. Both she and Mr. Rotch were passen- gers in the United States (one of the claimants for the Bedford's honors), on her return from London to Boston as appeared on her log book, which I saw and examined in Boston in 1865. She was a woman of much energy and great mercantile endowments. While in Boston she gave Kansas, March, 1861; West-Virginia, February, 1863; Nevada, Octo- ber 3 ist, 1864; Nebraska, March ist, 1867. The last in- creasing the brilliancy of the original constellation to thirty-seven stars which is its present number and there ten organized terri- tories waiting in their turn admission 1 . bunting, and every effort made to substitute a domestic texture capable of resisting the wind and the air has signally failed. General Butler having ascertained this fact at the navy department, and feeling an interest in the United States Bunting Com- pany in his own town, informed Captain Fox that he believed that company had pro- duced a fabric that would be superior to the foreign article. A test was accordingly ordered by the navy department, fully realizing the confident anticipations of Gen. Butler, and proving the American bunting to be better in color and in quality than the English product. The general wrote to the secretary of the senate for authority to make a present of one of these flags to be raised over that body. That officer hav- ing consulted Mr. Forster, president pro tempore, the general's proposition was cheer- fully accepted, and to day the flag was placed in the hands of the sergeant-at-arms. Tomorrow morning it will be hoisted to the senatorial flag-staff, and unfurled to the breeze." Philadelphia Press, Feb. 23, 1866. 1 Viz: New Mexico, Washington, Utah, Dakota, Colorado, Arizona, Idaho, Mon- tana, Indian Territory and Wyoming. When all these and others yet to come are admitted it will render some change in the union, or disposition of its constellation, essentially necessary. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 261 CHRONICLES OF THE FLAG. 1818-1861. When the Hon. Joel R. Poinsett of South Carolina, subse- quently secretary of war in 1837 to 1841, throughout the ad- ministration of Martin Van Buren, was the United States" min- ster to Mexico, the power of our flag to protect its citizens abroad, was strikingly illustrated, as related by Mr. Poinsett in a speech at Charleston, S. C. The election of Gomez Pedraza to the presidentship of Mexico was not acquiesced in by the people, and from discontent and murmurs they soon proceeded to open revolt. At night they took possession of the Artillery Barracks, a large building, and established batteries along the streets. One of these works was situated about three hundred yards from Mr. Poinsett's house, and immediately under the tower of a convent on which men were stationed. After several ineffectual attempts had been made to carry this work by infantry in front, suddenly a squad- ron of cavalry that had succeeded in turning the flank of the battery, sabred the men at their guns. When the battery was silenced the troops were soon driven from the convent. The convent of St. Augustine, situated in the rear of Mr. Poinsett's house, was the last to yield to the besiegers who were composed of the common people of the city, peasants of the neighboring village, mingled with the civic guard of Mexico, and deserters. While the firing was going on at St. Augustine, Madame Yturrigaray, widow of the former viceroy of Mexico, who lived in the adjoining house, rushed in almost frantic with fear, and implored Mr. Poinsett to protect her house. While he was giving her assurances of protection, a shot was fired at him which passed through his cloak and buried itself in the shutter of the balcony window. He retired into the house, and soon the besiegers were heard approaching. When they reached the house, one wild shout arose, and a desperate effort was made to burst open the door. The massive gates resisted their efforts ; a cry arose to fire in the window ; to bring cannon ; to burst open the gates, and bitter imprecations were uttered against the owner of the house for sheltering their enemies, the European 262 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE Spaniards, many of whom had sought refuge under Mr. Poinsett's roof. At this moment Mr. Poinsett directed Mr. Mason, the secretary of the American legation, to throw out the flag of the United States. This was gallantly done, and they both stood on the balcony beneath its waving folds. The shouts were hushed, the soldiers slowly dropped the muzzles of their guns, which were leveled at the balcony and windows. Mr. Poinsett seized this opportunity to tell who he was, what flag waved over him, and to claim protection for those who had sought security under it. Perceiving the crowd was awed and began to consult together, he retired to dispatch a note to the commander of the besieging army. The servant who was en- trusted with the note returned and reported the crowd was so great that the porter was afraid to open the gate for fear the crowd would rush in. Mr. Poinsett then resolved to go himself, and was joined by Mr. Mason. They proceeded to the door, which the porter was ordered to open. As they stepped over the threshold the great crowd rolled back like a wave on the ocean. They were accompanied by a native servant, who mingled with the crowd, and before the crowd had recovered from its astonish- ment the two gentlemen had returned to the court yard, and the door was closed by the porter. Before they reached the front of the house they heard the advance of the cavalry com- manded by a friend of the legation. The gates were thrown open, and the horsemen rode into the court yard. Their com- mander stationed sentinels before the door, and Mr. Poinsett had the satisfaction to redeem his promise of protection to Madame Yturrigaray. His house was respected amidst the wildest dis- order, and those who sought an asylum under the flag of the United States remained in perfect safety until tranquillity was restored. In 1839, the little pilot boat schooner Flying Fish of 90 tons, Lieut. W. M. Walker, attached to the Wilkes U. S. exploring expedition, carried our flag farther south than any other vessel of the expedition, and penetrated the Antarctic circle farther than the keel of any other nation had furrowed it. This little vessel had been a New York pilot boat, and was introduced into the squadron without any addition to the strength of her frame j so that her security among the ice was to depend FLAG OF THE UNITED STAGES. 263 altogether on her good qualities as a sea boat. After some necessary repairs, at Orange harbor, Cape Horn, she put to sea, with a complement of thirteen souls, under command of Lieut. Wm. M. Walker, U.S.N., whose friends took leave of him, with the ominous congratulation, that " she would at least make him an honorable coffin." 1 After encountering a variety of stormy and tempestuous weather, during which, " the very creatures of the brine seemed to know the vessel's helpless plight ; for a large whale came up from the deep and rubbed his vast sides against her ; while the albatross flapped his wings in their faces and mocked them with his bright black eyes. " On the loth of March, which was spent at the pumps, tfie sea toppled over the schooner and threatened to engulf her. Every seam leaked ; every stitch of clothes was wet; and every bed inundated. The men had to swathe their feet in blankets, lest they should freeze ; and as the driving sleet fell on their garments, it congealed there, and incased them in ice. When the gale abated, after a dark and dismal night, they found the foresail split, and the jib washed from its gaskets, hanging to the stay by a single hank. They had now made the second rendezvous in latitude 64 S. longitude 90 W. ; but as there was no sign of the Peacock, advantage was taken of the fair wind to proceed on their course. The condition of the men forbade all delays. Five out of a crew of ten, were almost disabled by ulcerated hands and swollen limbs ; while the rest suffered cruelly from rheumatics and catarrh. On a mild and sunny day (the I3th,) the second in that bright succession, the theatre of their ambition opened to their view. Two icebergs stood like warders at the gate of the Antarctic ; and, as the little vessel passed between, huge columnar masses, white as the raiment that no fuller bleached, and which shone like palaces With opal towers and battlements adorned, Of living sapphire." Soon, however, as if nature, incensed to be tracked by man to her last inclement solitude, had let loose all her furies ; l l am indebted to a diary appended to Thulia^a tale of the Antarctic, by J. C. Palmer, U. S. N., for the graphic description which follows. 264 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE the tempest drew a veil of snow over the frozen city, and the vessel became the centre of a little area, walled by the piling seas. It is impossible for any one to fancy the awful interest of such a scene, without the pent up feelings of the spectators standing where human foot never before intruded, an unwel- come guest in the very den of storms. They waited some time at the next rendezvous, in hopes of ob- taining surgical aid from the Peacock, for three men who were quite disabled. This delay lost them a fair wind ; but the time was well employed in repairing their boats ; after which, though they despaired of rejoining their consort, Mr. Walker proceeded to the fourth and last place assigned in his orders, which were thus fulfilled to the letter. They had attained the longitude of 105 W. Ice or discovery was to prescribe the bounds of their latitude ; and with feelings in whose enthusiasm past suf- ferings were forgotten, they turned their faces to the south. Icebergs soon accumulated fast ; and the sea was studded with fragments detached from the large island. The water was much discolored during the day, and very luminous at night. Penguins appeared in prodigious numbers ; and the air swarmed with birds. Whales were numerous beyond the experience of the oldest sailor on board, lashing the sea into foam with their gigantic flukes, and often in mad career passing so close to the schooner, as to excite serious apprehensions for safety. A fin- back once kept them company for several hours ; and a monstrous right whale, of greater size than the vessel herself, lay so obstinately in her track, that the men stood by with boat hooks to bear him off. Every hour now increased the interest of their situation. A trackless waste lay between them and all human sympathies ; and each step removed them further from society. On the iQth of March, they passed between two icebergs 830 feet high, and hove to near one of them to fill their water casks. Encompassed by these icy walls, the schooner looked like a mere skifF in the moat of a giant's castle ; and the visions of old 'romance were recalled by the gorgeous blue and purple lights that streamed through the pearly fabrics. The very grandeur of the scene, however, made it joyless. The voice had no resonance : words fell from the lip, and seemed to freeze FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 265 before they reached the ear ; and as the waves surged with a lazy undulation, the caverns sent back a fitful roarlike moan from some deep dungeon. The atmosphere was always hazy ; and the alternation of mist and snow gave the sky a leaden complexion. When the sun appeared at all, it was near his meridian height ; and they called it "pleasant weather," if the stars peeped out but for a moment ; except when it blew with great violence, the ice broke off the sea ; but their nights were so pitchy dark, that the officer of the deck kept his watch in the forecastle, and depended upon his ear to warn him of danger. On the 2Oth of March, in latitude 69O5 / 43 // S., and longi- tude 96 21' 30" W., many appearances indicated the vicinity of land. The ice became dense and black, and much of it streaked with dirt, the water, too, was very turbid and colder than usual, though they got no bottom at a hundred fathoms line. When the mist cleared they found themselves near a long wall of ice. On the afternoon of the 2ist the sea was clear as far as the eye could reach ; and their hopes began to brighten at the thought that they had passed the French and Russian limits, and were on the heels of Cook. 1 As long as a glimpse of day remained they pressed toward the goal under every rag of sail. Night set in with mist and rain ; and by 9 p. M., it grew so pitchy dark that they were obliged to heave to, with a fair wind from the north. At midnight it blew a gale. The vessel was beset with ice, and morning found them in an amphitheatre of sublime architecture. As the icebergs changed their places like a shift- ing scene, the prospect beyond them seemed to reach the pole. Day came upon this boundless plain. The eye ached for some limit to a space, which the mind could hardly grasp. Mountain against mountain blended with a sky whose very whiteness was horrible. The vessel looked like a mere snow bank, every rope a long icicle j the masts hung down like stalactites from a dome of mist ; and the sail flapped as white a wing as the spot- less pigeon above them. The stillness was oppressive, but when they spoke, their voices had a hollow sound, more painful even than silence. The schooner had become thus involved by 1 Capt. Weddell, in 1823, attained the latitude of 73 S. 34 2(36 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE drifting at an imperceptible rate, within the barrier, while the passage behind her was gradually closed by ice returning from the north. There was no alternative but to buffet her through, or be carried to the south ; and by 9 A. M. (March 22d), they reached a place of comparative safety in latitude 70 S., longi- tude 100 W. On the 24th of March, the schooner was obliged to force a passage out of the ice, under circumstances truly appalling. The waves began to be stilled by the large snow-flakes that fell unmelted on their surface ; and as the breeze died away into a murmur, a low crepitation, like the clicking of a death- watch, announced that the sea was freezing. Never did fond ear strain for the sigh of love, more anxiously than those devoted men listened to each gasp of wind, whose breath was now their life. The looks of the crew reproached their commander with having doomed them to a lingering death ; and many an eye wandered over the helpless vessel, to estimate how long she might last for fuel. Preparations were hastily made to shesth the bow with planks torn up from cabin berths ; but the congela- tion was too rapid to permit the sacrifice of time to this precau- tion. All sail was accordingly crowded on the vessel, and after a hard struggle of four hours duration, they had occasion to thank heaven for another signal deliverance. With straining oars and bending spars, They dash their icy chains asunder ; , Force frozen doors, burst crystal bars, And drive the sparkling fragments under ! They had now attained the latitude of 70 14' S., and esta- blished the impossibility of penetrating further between 90 and 105 W. The season was exhausted ; the sun already de- clined towards the north ; day dwindled to a 'few hours ; and nothing was to be expected from moon or stars. Under these circumstances Mr. Walker, after thanking his crew for their zealous cooperation, announced his resolution to return without delay. On the next afternoon (March 25), they descried and exchanged cheers with the U. S. S. Peacock. Both vessels stood northward for several days ; when the Flying Fish was ordered to return to Orange harbor, where on the nth of April, Lieui. Walker gave up his command. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 267 The following year Wilkes discovered the Antarctic conti- nent, and in 1841, Sir James Ross discovered Victoria land, with two Antarctic volcanos which he named Erebus and Terror, after his ships, and penetrated south to 78, the highest latitude yet attained. The little Flying Fish was sold in China, and became an opium trader and smuggler on that coast. The first United States vessel of war to carry our flag from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the straits of Magellan, though many little sealing schooners under our flag had preceded 'her, was the United States schooner Shark, Lieut. Commander A. Bigelow. She passed Cape Virgin, Nov. 28, 1839, and took her departure from Cape Pillar on the west coast, Dec. 31, 1839, commencing the new year in the Pacific, having been in the straits thirty-three days and a half, of which 284 hours were passed under way, and five hundred and twenty-five at anchor. A minute account of her passage, written by Capt. Bigelow to the secretary of the navy is published in the Army and Navy Chronicle of April 30, 1840, in which Capt. B. says ; " I have been thus minute in describing the passage of the Shark through the strait of Magellan, I believe the first public vessel of the United States which has passed through them, thinking that you, sir, in common with the officers of the navy, might feel some interest in the narration. It has long been a disputed question, whether it be advisable for small vessels to pass through the strait from east to west, in preference to doubling the cape. My experience would tend to discourage a stranger to the route from attempting it, in the month of December at least, though it is quite probable that the winds may have been as adverse to the southward of the cape as in the strait, and that we were pecu- liarly unfortunate in our weather. Steam has now made the passage through the straits either way easy and common. My conclusion from the experience of a single passage only, is that, for small vessels, the passage from west to east is preferable to going round, as wood and water can be obtained, and the dis- tance shortened. At any time while we were in the strait, a passage to the eastward could easily have been made in four days, and sooner were the navigator acquainted with the channel, so as not to fear being under way in the night. No vessel would 268 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE be likely, however, to pass without touching to wood and water ; and a week might be profitably occupied, even with a fair wind, in getting through. I should doubt the policy of making the passage either way with large vessels, though our whaling ships frequently pass both ways. No vessel could be better calculated to pass through the strait than the Shark, with the exception of her being a dull sailer. This, however, is in a measure com- pensated by her great capacity to bear sail. I doubt if a large, or even moderate-sized, square-rigged vessel could have made the passage, under similar circumstances, in double the time." The steam schooner Midas, Capt. Wm. Poor, owned by R. B. Forbes, was the first American steamer to carry our flag around the Cape of Good Hope for China in 1844. She left New York on the 4th of November of that year, and was the first American steamer to ply in Chinese waters. She returned from China under sail to New York via Rio Janeiro, where she took a China cargo. Her machinery was taken out and she ran out of Savannah for some time, owned by Messrs Paddle- ford & Fay. The auxiliary steam bark Edith, 400 tons Forbes rig, and owned by R. B. Forbes, was the first auxiliary screw steamer under the American flag that went to the British Indies, and she was the first American square-rigged screw steamer to visit China. She was launched in 1844, sailed from Boston for Bombay, under Capt. Geo. W. Lewis, January i8th, 1845, and came back like the Midas under sail with a China cargo. She was next chartered to the war department ; took stores to Brazos Santiago, was employed in the Gulf of Mexico during our war with Mexico, was finally sold to the war department and sent to California, where she was transferred to the navy, and lost off Santa Barbara. The first American propeller packet ship to carry our flag to England, was the Massachusetts of 734 tons, owned by R. B. Forbes and having engines designed by Ericsson. She was launched at East Boston July 22, 1845; and sailed from New York, commanded by Capt. A. H. White, September 17, 1845. She made a second voyage to Liverpool under Capt. David Wood, and was after her return chartered to the government, and carried General Scott's flag to the capture of Vera Cruz ; was transferred to the navy department, and went through the FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 269 strait of Magellan to California. During the recent war her engines were taken out and she was refitted as a store ship and named the Farralones. She was for some time stationed at Panama for the protection of the isthmus. After the war she was sold in San Francisco, and at the latest accounts was engaged in carrying wheat from that port to Liverpool. Correct portraits of both the Massachusetts and Edith are in the possession of the Naval Library and Institute at Charlestown. The Marmion, Capt. Page, a propeller, had preceded the Massachusetts to England, but she was not a packet. She ended her days in the Mediterranean. In February, 1846, the pilot boat Wm. J. Romer, of about 100 tons burthen, sailed from New York for Liverpool on a special mission, and after a boisterous passage anchored at Cork on the 6th of March. Soon after her arrival she was boarded by an officer of H.B.McS. Vanguard with orders from the admiral to haul down her flag or pennant, which her captain, McGuire refused to do. In a short time, the officer returned with a polite apology from the admiral, stating that from the smallness of the vessel he had taken her for an English pilot boat. Leaving Cork harbor on the I3th of March on her return she arrived at New York on the nth of April bringing five days later news from Europe, making the round trip in sixty days. The first man to raise the stars and stripes in California was one whose name has not passed into history, Capt. James P. Arther, a native of Holland, and resident of Plymouth, Mass. He was assisted by Mr. Geo. W. Greene, then a young man, and afterwards of Milton, Mass., and a member of the Massa- chusetts legislature. Captain Arther was up and down the coast of California as early as 1825, in the brig Harbinger, Captain Steel; but the exploit above alluded to was performed in 1829, at which time he was in the employ of Messrs. Bryant & Sturgis as mate of the ship Brookline, Captain Locke. Mr. Arther and his little party were sent ashore at San Diego to cure hides. They had a barn-like structure of wood, provided by the ship's carpenter, which answered the purposes of storehouse, curing shop and residence. The life was lonesome enough. Upon the wide expanse of the Pacific they occasionally discerned a distant ship. 270 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE Sometimes a vessel sailed near the lower offing. It was thus that the idea of preparing and raising a flag, for the purpose of attracting attention, occurred to them. The flag was manufac- tured from some shirts, and Captain Arther writes, with the just accuracy of a historian, that Mr. Greene's calico shirt fur- nished the blue, while he furnished the red and white. " It was completed and raised on a Sunday, on the occasion of the arrival of the schooner Washington, Captain Thompson, of the Sand- wich Islands," but sailing under the American flag. " He had a sailing master with him. It was in the latter part of the year 1829 in San Diego." So writes honest Captain Arther. He further states that the same flag was afterwards frequently raised at Santa Barbara whenever, in fact, there was a vessel coming into port. These men raised our national ensign, not in bra- vado, nor for war and conquest of course, but as honest men, to show they were American citizens and wanted company. And while the act cannot be regarded as in the light of a claim to sovereignty it is still interesting as a fact and as an unconscious indication of manifest destiny. 1 In 1842, Commodore Jones of the United States navy, under the impression that the United States were at war with Mexico, took forcible possession of Monterey, hoisted the stars and stripes and proclaimed California a territory of the United States. Discovering his mistake the following day, he hauled down the flag and made such apology as the circumstances would admit. 2 The Bear flag which was raised at Sonoma, California, June 14, 1846, is now in the possession of the Pioneer Society at San Francisco. It was made of white cotton and red flannel, the skirts of an old lady, and had painted on it the semblance of a grizzly bear. The artist was, however, so unfortunate in his effort that the Spaniards called it the Bander a Colchis, or Hog flag. The army that raised this flag and thus undertook to revolutionize a state consisted, all told, of fourteen Americans. During this time, however, General John C. Fremont was encamped at Sonoma with the small exploring party with which he had just crossed the plains, the Rocky Mountains, the desert, and Sierra Nevadas. Over his headquarters at Sutler's fort 1 Boston Daily Advertiser. a The Discovery of Gold in California, by Ed. E, Dunbar. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 271 there floated a flag with one star ! On the 4th of July, 1846, he called a meeting of the Americans at Sonoma, and under advice from the general, they proclaimed the independence of California and declared war against Mexico. In all this General Fremont was acting, without knowing that the United States were then actually at war with Mexico, or that on the 8th and 9th of May General Taylor had gained his decisive victory on the banks of the Rio Bravo. lie was therefore totally unpre- pared to hear of the startling event of the raising of the stars and stripes only three days later at Monterey, on the yth of July, by Commodore Sloat commanding a United States squad- ron consisting of his flag ship, the frigate Savannah and sloops- of-war Cyane and Levant then at that port. Capt. J. B. Montgomery 1 of the United States sloop-of-war, Portsmouth, then lying in San Francisco, raised the United States flag on the Plaza of Yerba Buena, or San Francisco, now Portsmouth square, on the next day, the 8th of July. 2 Since that date the flag of the nation has constantly waved in token of sovereignty over California. On the I4th of July, only one week later, the British man-of-war Collingwood, Sir George Seymour commanding, arrived at Monterey for the very purpose of doing what Commodore Sloat had already accom- plished. The British were too late ; the Yankees, already in possession, were not to be displaced save at the cost of a war between the two nations. The honor of having been the first to raise our flag in Cali- fornia has been claimed for Commodore Robert F. Stockton, but he did not arrive from Honolulu at Monterey, in the frigate Congress, until the I5th of July, the day after the arrival of the English admiral, when to his surprise, he heard of these occur- rences, and found our flag waving over the old Custom House, and in the plaza where the Savannah men were quartered. On the 28th of August, 1846, Commodore Stockton wrote the navy department : " I have now the honor to inform you that the flag of the United States is flying from every commanding posi- tion in the territory of California, and that this rich and beauti- ful country belongs to the United States, and is forever free from Mexican dominion." 1 Now Rear Admiral John B. Montgomery, U.S.N. Montgomery street, San Francisco, is named for him, and Portsmouth Square for his ship. "Log of the Savannah. 272 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE In 1848, Lieutenant Lynch made an exploration of the river Jordan and the Dead sea. In his narrative he describes the first unfurling of our flag over the solitary waters of the lake of Galilee, and the Dead sea, upon which, according to the popular belief, it was certain death to be borne. After describing his voyage from the United States in the store ship Supply, and describing two metallic boats designed for the expedition and named by him Fanny Skinner and Fanny Mason, after two blooming children, Lieutenant Lynch says : "Friday, March 3151, 1848. Sent to Acre for horses and hoisted out the two Fannies and landed with our effects. Pitched our tents for the first time upon the beach without the walls of Haifa j a graveyard behind, an old grotto looking well on one side, and a carob tree on the other. For the first time, perhaps, without the consular precincts, the American flag has been raised in Palestine ; may it be the harbinger of a regeneration to a new and hapless people." The boats were afterwards reembarked and taken to another point of the coast, and again landed on the 5th of April, 1848 From this new" point the start of the caravan for the interior is thus described : " The metal boats with the flags flying mounted on carriages drawn by huge camels, ourselves, the mounted sailors in single file, the loaded camel, the sherif and the sheikh with their tufted spears and followers, presented a glorious sight. It looked like a triumphal march. " Thus organized, the party arrived at Tiberias upon the shore of the sea of Galilee, and the boats were launched upon its sacred waters on Saturday the 8th of April 1848. Under that date Lieut. Lynch says: " Took all hands up the mountain to bring the boats down. Many times we thought that like the herd of swine, they would rush precipitately into the sea. Every one did his best, and at length success crowned our efforts. With their flags flying we carried them triumphantly beyond the walls uninjured, and amid a crowd of spectators launched them upon the blue waters of the sea of Gallilee, the Arabs singing, clapping their hands to the time, and crying for back skish 1 ; but we neither 1 Presents. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 273 shouted nor cheered : from Christian lips it would have sounded like profanation. A look upon that lake ever brought to remem- brance the words, Peace ! be Still ! " " Buoyantly it floated, the two Fannies bearing the stars and stripes, the noblest flag of freedom now waving. Since the times of Josephus and the Romans no vessel of any size has sailed upon this sea, and for many, many years but a solitary keel has furrowed its surface. " On the 1 8th of April, in passing down the river Jordan, at the Fountain of Pilgrims, where more than eight thousand pilgrims arrived to behold them as they bathed, Lynch was gladdened by meeting two of his countrymen, who in turn were gratified at seeing the stars and stripes floating above the consecrated river, and the boats which bore them ready, should it be necessary, to rescue a drowning pilgrim. The next day, the iQth, the Dead sea was entered and our flag displayed for the first time upon its waters. Nine days later, on the 28th, news having been received from Beyrut of the death of expresiderit John Quincy Adams, the flags were mournfully displayed at half mast, and at noon the following day, twenty-one minute guns from the heavy blunderbuss on the bow of the Fanny Mason were fired in honor of the illustrious dead. On the Qth of May, having employed the previous day to its construction, he pulled out in the Fanny Skinner and moored a large float, with the American ensign flying in eighty fathoms of water, abreast of Ain G'huiveir, at too long a distance from the shore to be disturbed by the Arabs. As their party approached Damascus on its return, they were advised to furl our flag before entering the city, and assured that no foreign flag had ever been tolerated within its walls. The British consul's was torn down on the first attempt to raise it, and the appearance of ours, it was thought, would excite commotion, and lead perhaps to serious consequences. As they had carried it to every place they had visited, they determined to take their chance with it and so kept it flying. Many angry comments were evidently made by the populace at this pre- sumption, but as they did not choose to understand what their toorgeman was too wary to interpret, they were unmolested. 35 274 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE Once more unfurling it at their camp over against Jerusalem, they finally reembarked our flag at Jaffa, the ancient Joppa. It is to be regretted that after all this display of devotion "to the stars and stripes, the noblest flag of freedom now waving," which Captain Lynch has so carefully recorded, he should, from a false sense of paramount duty to his state, have deserted its folds, a dozen years later, in the hour of its trial and danger, and have identified himself with the rebellion, and raised his sacrilegious hand against it. There has been some controversy as to who first raised an American flag on the heights of Chapultepec, some body having said incautiously that General Read did the gallant act, where- upon several claimants for the honor came forward. The fact, however, that the lion hearted Read did not first plant the colors of his regiment on Chapultepec, robs him of none of the proud laurels he won in Mexico. It was Captain Barnard of Philadelphia, now dead, who seized the flag of the Voltigeurs and placed it in triumph on the captured works of the enemy. Read, while gallantly bearing the colors unfurled, in the progress of the charge, was struck down, dangerously wounded, and his name appeared in the first list of the killed. No man who ever knew him, doubts for a moment that, but for this, Read would have done all that Barnard accomplished. The flag of the Voltigeurs, the same that was first planted at Chapultepec, is now in Louisville, and is in the possession of Isaac Caldwell, Esq., brother of Col. George Alfred Caldwell, who, with General Joseph E. Johnston, led the "assault. It is shattered and battle-torn, and even the staff shows marks of the fierce storm through which it was carried. The reports of Generals Scott and Pillow, and Colonel An- drews, the latter the commander of the Voltigeurs, all ascribe the honor of first planting the regimental colors on Chapultepec to Captain Barnard. Ripley's history also gives Captain Barnard this credit. General Pillow says in his report. " Colonel Andrews, whose regiment so distinguished itself and commander by this brilliant charge, as also Lieutenant- Colonel Johnston and Major Caldwell, whose activity enabled them to lead the assault, have greatly distinguished themselve- by their gallantry and daring. Captain Barnard with distins FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 275 guished gallantry, having seized the colors of his regiment, upon the fall of the color-bearer, scaled the wall with them unfurled, and has the honor of planting the first American standard in the works." When the Voltigeurs were disbanded at Baltimore, a number of the interesting properties of the regiment were forwarded by General Johnston to Colonel Caldwell. Among these was the regimental flag. 1 Col. Caldwell, in 1863, was drafted. The law required that he should personally appear before the board of enrollment for release. Knowing his physical disability from age and chronic rheumatism, the board wrote him, if he had reason to fear he could not get exempted, he might bring his Chapultepec flag with him to carry out to the Taylor barracks. April, 1848. A party of twenty-five American officers, four or five civilians, thirty-five dragoons and forty infantry of the United States army in Mexico, attempted the ascent of Popo- catepetl, which, after Mount St. Elias, is the highest eminence of North America, having an estimated altitude of from 17,720 to 17,840 feet. Only six, of the hundred and fourteen of which the ascend- ing party was composed, succeeded in reaching its summit and raising the stars and stripes. This mountain had never been ascended since the time of Cortez. A Spanish officer in 1519, was the first human being to reach its summit, and in commemoration of his success was permitted to assume for his coat of arms the figure of a burning mountain. On reaching the final slope, our successful adventurers di- rected their steps toward a black rock situated near the edge of the crater, about the middle of the south side, and at ten minutes past ten A.M., April nth, 1848, Lieut. Stone standing on the edge of the crater, and before the other five had arrived, fastened the stars and stripes to his staff, and planted them on the very loftiest peak of the mountain, exulting with loud huzzas at his complete success. Mr, Baggely an Englishman, and a professor in a Mexican college, arrived soon after and placed close beside it the cross of St. George. 1 Louisvil/t Courier. 276 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE The unpleasant effect of the gases did not permit the little parties to remain on the edge of the crater. The fumes of the sulphur combined to cause headache and nausea, their throats became dry and swollen, compelled them to hasten their return. The strange sensations passed off as they descended, and when at 2 P.M., they reached the camp, only a headache remained. The Indians would not believe they had reached the top, and examined their heads, saying, " It was impossible for any one to go there without having horns grow from the head." Others asked " what the mountain said to them." No money nor entreaty could persuade the guides to go further than the region of perpetual snow, which in that latitude is at about 14,000 feet. About a month later, in May, 1848, Mount Orizaba, whose snow-clad summit is seen every clear day from Vera Cruz, though seventy miles distant, and the sight of whose symmetrical cone often cheers the mariner when more than a hundred miles distant at sea, was ascended by a party of army and navy officers who planted our banner upon the highest peak of its frozen summits. Humboldt tried to ascend this mountain, but with all his enthusiasm failed, and the feat had been deemed impracticable. The party who were successful in raising our flag where foot of man had never before trod, consisted of nine officers, twenty soldiers and two sailors, who all encamped on the second day 12,000 feet above the level of the sea, with the thermome- ter considerably below the freezing point. At early day-light the next morning the party again set out -and were soon among the snow and ice, the air became rarified at every step and rendered it necessary for them to stop and pant for breath. When they had attained the elevation of 15,000 feet, the party with few exceptions were seized with nausea and vomiting, and the ascending party was gradually diminished. When the summit was reached only three army and two navy officers could congratulate themselves on having reached the goal of their endeavor. Arrived at the summit the little party shook hands and sat down to rest and enjoy the glorious prospect before them : Puebla, Jalapa, Cordova, the sea ninety FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 277 miles away, and a host of villages on the plain. They descended a short distance into the crater and brought up some beautiful specimens of crystal and lava, and large quantities of the most beautiful specimens of sulphur. After this was done the navy officers set up the American flag on the summit, an honor to which they were fairly entitled, as it was made overnight of the red and blue shirts of the sailors, passed midshipman Robert Clay Rogers furnishing his white one to complete it. This flag had but thirteen stars. It was left flying with a bottle beside it in which was a paper containing the names of the successful few. The barometer ceased to indicate after they had reached an altitude of 17,300 feet, and when they were at least 1,000 feet from the summit according to their estimate. This would make the height of Orizaba over 18,300 feet, instead of 17,500 as had been estimated. When the party returned they slid down on the snow and ice. At the close of our war with Mexico (1848), it was unani- mously resolved by the senate of the United States, " That the vice-president be requested to have the flag of the United States first erected by the American army upon the palace in the capi- tal of Mexico deposited for safe keeping in the department of state of the United States." In answer to inquiries at the department of state concern- ing this flag, I received under date, Sept. 23, 1871, the following reply : " This department is unable to give you the information which you desire, as it does not have the flag referred to in its keeping. It is most likely in the charge of the war department." Referring them, however, in another letter to the law concerning it, it was found to be deposited in the state department, and de- scribed as " an ordinary United States flag of small size, tattered and moth-eaten, containing in its union twenty-eight stars, arranged in four rows, each row containing seven. The rows of seven stars parallel with the white stripes." The American ensign first displayed in Japan on the occa- sion of the landing of Commodore M. C. Perry at Uraga on the bay of Jeddo in July, 1853, P enm g Japan to the world after two hundred years of seclusion, and which was unfolded at the treaty of Yokahama, March, 1854, counted on its cluster, 278 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE thirty-one stars, and is now preserved at the Naval Academy, Annapolis. In 1856, after the storm-cloud of war had rolled away from the Crimea, and Sebastapol was once more opened to the ships of every nation, the first vessel to enter its closed port was an American ship, The Tray, a name of ominous import with the stars and stripes at her peak. The yacht Edith, built of iron, owned by R. B. Forbes and sailed from Boston in the fall of 1858, for the Rio de la Platte, and was the first, and it is believed is still the only, vessel of the New York yacht squadron to carry the American flag into south latitude. A letter from her published in the Boston Courier and dated Rio Uruguay, latitude 32 of S. longitude 58 u' W., March 8th, 1859, says: At Concepcion we found the Fulton and Water Witch, vessels celebrated in history, the last as the origin of the Paraguay expedition, and the leader of that memo- rable squadron which went to Cuba to protect the United States flag from British aggression " * * We get on admirably with our "squadron" consisting of the yacht Edith and steamer Alpha ; sometimes she tows us and some- times we tow her, and always excite the curiosity of the natives. No other yacht of the New York squadron has been so far from home, and no other steamer of any nation has been so far up the Rio Negro ; at this point she deserves to be called the Alpha, and for a long time to come will be the Omega. The Alpha was a little iron steamer which was taken out on the deck of the brig Nankin. Some asked on seeing her on deck, whether she was built on the way out or whether the brig was built around her. On arriving at Montevideo the Nankin hauled alongside the United States store ship, Supply, and with the tackles used to hoist out the 10 inch guns, the little steamer was suspended in air, the brig was hauled from under her, and when all was ready to launch, the main yard tackles pennant parted, and down she went ten or twelve feet into the water, the fore-sling slipping off at the same time ; not a rivet was started and no harm done. The captain of the little steamer went to the Custom House and entered her as a new arrival, she having regularly cleared FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 279 at the Boston Custom House. The collector of course opened his eyes very wide on seeing that she was only twenty tons, and asked if it came by sea, and how many days she had been on the voyage, and how many ports he had touched at for fuel, and whether he had shipped any water or incurred any danger from gales of wind on the way, to which Capt. Bessie honestly re- plied that he came by sea, in fifty-five days, and had put in no- where for fuel, having been mostly propelled by sails, that he had shipped many small sprays, but no large seas, that she was as dry and safe as a brig of 300 tons all the way out, that he had encountered one very severe gale and several smaller ones, but that she lay to like a duck. Then the collector made notes of these facts, and said it was ' muy curriosoj and opened his eyes again. The Alpha may be considered as the parent of our present naval steam launches, those efficient tenders to our ships of war and surveying vessels. The yacht Edith was only 47 days in making the passage out from Provinceton, though considerably delayed by the loss of her main mast close to the deck in lat. 26 S. Throughout the trials, sufferings, and famines of Lieut. Isaac N. Strain's unfortunate Darien exploring expedition in 1854, so graphically drawn in Mr. Headley's narrative : " our flag was sacredly preserved." After their rescue, and while pursuing their course down river, as they approached the Viragos paddle box boat, Strain was desirous to hoist an American ensign and asked if the one they started with had been preserved. They answered yes. McGinness had been entrusted with it, and had carried it to the last. The only emblem of their nationality that remained to them, he had wrapped it around his breast, and though weapons, haversacks, and blankets had been thrown away, he would not part with it. Wounded feet that needed bandaging, and ulcer- ated limbs and tattered garments could not induce a man to devote that cherished symbol to his own use. Without reflection, Strain ordered McGinness to place it in his boat. The poor fellow hung back for a moment, and cast such an appealing look to Strain, that the latter asked him what was the matter. His eyes instantly filled with tears and he replied : " Captain Strain 280 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE I have never parted with the ensign a single instant since you trusted it to my care on the Atlantic coast, and don't take it from me now." Touched by the noble devotion of the man Strain said : " By no means my brave fellow shall it be taken from you, display it yourself." His face beamed with a smile of thankfulness, and unbinding it with his skeleton hand, from the rags that hardly covered him, he gave it tattered and torn to the wind, and three cheers went up from the little fleet. "There is a whole poem " adds Headley " in this little incident." That flag had been dis- played when they marched from the beach of Caledonia bay : it was unrolled to announce their deliverance. Once more only was it used, to shroud the coffin of one of the expedition. In 1854, Assistant Surgeon Elisha Kent Kane, U.S.N., carried our flag to the land nearest the pole yet discovered, and his com- panion Morton hoisted it on the borders of the polynia or open sea of the Arctic. " The first flag that ever waved over that solitude." Doctor Kane narrating the event, says : " As he (Morton) neared the northern land, at the east shore which led to Cape Constitution, the termination of his labors, he found only a very small ice-float under the lee of the head land, and crushed up against the side of the rock. He went on, but the strip of ice land broke more and more until, about a mile off the cape it ter- minated altogether, the waves breaking into a cross sea directly against the cape. The wind had moderated, but was still from the north, and the current ran very fast, four or five knots per- haps. " The cliff's were here very high ; at a short distance they seemed about two thousand feet : but the crags were so over- hanging that Morton could not see the tops as he drew closer. The echoes were confusing and the clamor of half a dozen ivory gulls, who were frightened from their sheltered nooks were multiplied a hundred fold. The mollemoks were still numerous but he saw no ducks. " He tried to pass around the cape ; it was in vain, there was no ice foot, and trying his best to ascend the cliffs, he could get up but a few hundred feet. Here he fastened to his walk- FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 281 ing pole the Grinnell flag of the Antarctic, a well cherished little relic which had now followed me on two polar voyages. This flag had been saved from the wreck of the United States sloop of war Peacock when she was stranded off Columbia river. It had accompanied Commodore Wilkes in his far southern dis- covery of the Antarctic continent. It was now its strange destiny to float over the highest northern land, not only of America, but of our globe. Side by side with this were our masonic emblems of the compass and square. He let them fly for an hour and a half from the black cliffs, over the dark rock- shadowed waters, which rolled up and broke in white caps at its base." Theodore de Sabla, who had been the U. S. consul's clerk, and acting postmaster at Panama, and who in 1860 was sent to Bolivia by our government on a special mission, being a native of Louisi- ana, sympathized with the rebellion and took sides against our government. Writing from Panama to a former navy friend on the 1 8th of July, 1861, he relates the following curious inci- dent with regard to our flag, the augury of which was happily not fulfilled unless on the principle of the fulfillment of dreams, by contraries. After alluding to some matters of a business nature, he says : " We had a glorious fourth here at my house, rather on the secess side though as you may easily believe. Capt. Mitchell, Shryock and our other southern friends, late of, and now offihe navy, were there, and we had a grand time of it. Sorry to say that on that day when they were drinking the "union" at the United States Consulate, about 2 o'clock, P.M., the flag staff of old Corwine (the U. S. consul) was struck by lightning and shivered from top to bottom, and the flag torn to pieces. Bad omen that ! for you ! " On the 4th day of March, 1861, Dr. Hayes of the Arctic expeditions I hoisted a flag in honor of Abraham Lincoln who was supposed to be the president of the United States, though the fact was not known until August 14, when the expedition ar- rived at Uppernavick on its return. The flag was made by F. 1 This expedition sailed for Boston July 6, 1860, in the schooner Spring Hill of 133 tons, renamed the United States. Her officers and crew, including Dr. Hayes, numbered fifteen persons. It was designed the vessel should sail on the 4th of July but the weather proved unpropitious and her departure was delayed. 36 282 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE L. Harris, and a curious circumstance connected with it is that it was made with but eighteen stars on account of lack of ma- terial with which to make more. When the news was received of the election of Lincoln five months afterwards, it was found that a rebellion had broken out in the southern states leaving only about eighteen states true to the union. Dr. Hayes had accompanied Kane on the expedition of 1854, when Morton caught sight of the open Polar sea. During the winter of 1 860-61 he took up his quarters at Port Foulke x and in April, 1861, left his ship and proceeded up Smith's strait in sleighs, but having traversed about half the channel was obliged to send back to the ship most of his exhausted crew. Keeping with himself only three hardy companions he passed the straits and proceeded along the coast on the ice. On the 1 8th of May, 1861, in lat. 81 30' and at a distance of 825 kilometers from the pole, Hayes saw before him a vast sheet of water. Everything, says he, was to me evident proof that I had reached the shores of the Polar basin, and that the large ocean was rolling at my feet. At some distance from where he stood, the waves sweeping along the coast were break- ing to pieces the ice which finally disappeared. There Dr. Hayes built a cairn, and planted the American flag upon the most northern point ever reached by man. Having named the headland where the flags were raised, Cape Lieber, and the ex- treme point of the world in sight to the northward, Cape Union, he retraced his steps to Port Foulke. We will let him describe this interesting incident in the history of our flag. " The Open Polar Sea. Standing against the dark sky at the north, there was seen in dim outline the white sloping summit of a noble headland, the most northern known land upon the globe. I judged it to be in latitude 82 deg. 30 min., or four hundred and fifty miles from the north pole." " Nearer, another bold cape stood forth ; and nearer still the headland, for which I had been steering my course the day be- fore, rose majestically from the sea, as if pushing up into the 1 So named by Dr. Hayes for Wm. Parke Foulke of Philadelphia who aided in fitting out the expedition, and died before its return. Dr. Hayes dedicates his narra- tive to his memory. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 283 very skies a lofty mountain peak, upon which the winter had dropped its diadem of snows. There was no land visible except the coast upon which I stood. " The sea beneath me was a mottled sheet of white and dark patches, these latter being either soft decaying ice or places where the ice had wholly disappeared. These spots were heightened in intensity of shade and multiplied in size as they receded, until the belt of the water-sky blended them all to- gether into one uniform color of dark blue. The old and solid floes (some a quarter of a mile and others miles across), and the massive ridges and wastes of hummocked ice which lay piled between them and around their margins, were the only parts of the sea which retained the whiteness and solidity of winter. " All the evidences showed that I stood upon the shores of the Polar basin, and that the broad ocean lay at my feet ; that the land upon which I stood, culminating in the distant cape before me, was but a point of land projecting far into it, like the Ceverro Vostochnoi Noss of the opposite coast of Siberia ; and that the little margin of ice which lined the shore was being steadily worn away ; and within a month the whole sea would be as free from ice as I had seen the north water of Baffin bay, interrupted only by a moving pack, drifting to and fro at the will of the winds and currents. " It now only remained for us to plant our flag in token of our discovery, and to deposit a record in proof of our presence. The flags were tied to the whip-lash, and suspended between two tall rocks and while we were building a cairn, they were allowed to flutter in the breeze ; then, tearing a leaf from my note-book, I wrote on it as follows : " This point, the most northern land that has ever been reached, was visited by the undersigned, May i8th, iQth, 1861, accompanied by George F. Knorr, travelling with a dog sledge. We arrived here after a toilsome march of forty-six days from my winter harbor, near Cape Alexander, at the mouth of Smith sound. My observations place us in latitude 81 degrees 25 minutes, longitude 70 degrees 30 minutes W. Our further progress was stopped by rotten ice and cracks. Kennedy channel appears to expand into the Polar basin ; and, satisfied that it is navigable at least during the months of July, Austug 284 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE and September, I go hence to my winter harbor, to make another trial to get through Smith sound with my vessel, after ice breaks up this summer. I. I. HAYES. May 19, 1861." " This record being carefully secured in a small glass vial, which I brought for the purpose, it was deposited beneath the cairn ; then our faces were turned homewards. But I quitted the place with reluctance. It possessed a fascination for me, and it was with no ordinary sensations that I contemplated my situation, with one solitary companion in that hitherto untrodden desert ; while my nearness to the earth's axis, the consciousness of standing upon land far beyond the limits of previous observa- tion, the reflections which crossed my mind respecting the vast ocean which lay spread out before me, the thought that these ice-girdled waters might lash the shores of distant islands where dwell human beings of an unknown race, were circumstances calculated to invest the very air with mystery, to deepen the curiosity, and to strengthen the resolution to persevere in my determination to sail upon this sea and to explore its furthest limits ; and as I recalled the struggles which had been made to reach this sea through the ice and across the ice by genera- tions of brave men, it seemed as if the spirits of these old wor- thies came to encourage me, as their experience had already guided me ; and I felt that I had within my grasp " the great and notable thing" which had inspired the zeal of sturdy Fro- bisher, and that I had achieved the hope of matchless Parry." The flags planted upon the crag were a small United States boat ensign which had been carried in the South-sea exploring expedition of Captain Wilkes, and afterwards in the Arctic ex- peditions of Lieut. Comdg. De Haven, and Doctor Kane : a little United States flag which had been committed to Doctor Sontag by the ladies of the Albany Academy ; two diminutive masonic flags intrusted to Doctor Hayes, one by the Kane Lodge of New York, the other by the Columbia Lodge of Boston ; and the expedition signal flag, bearing a crimson star on a white field. Doctor Hayes says ct being under the obligation of a sacred promise to unfurl all these flags at the most northern point attained, it was my pleasing duty to carry them with me, FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 285 a duty rendered none the less pleasing by the circumstance that together they did not weigh three pounds." The highest point attained by him he called Cape Lieber,- a remarkable peak rising above Church's monument ; and the bay below it he named for Lady Franklin. The conspicuous head- land which he vainly attempted to reach on the last day of his northward journey was named Cape Eugenie, for the empress of the French in appreciation of the kindness of French citizens to the expedition, another prominent headland he named Cape Frederick VII, in honor of the king of Denmark, to whose Green- land subjects he was indebted for many serviceable attentions. The noble headland which in faint outline, stood against the dark sky of the open sea, " the most northern known land upon the globe," he named Cape Union, " in remembrance of a com- pact which has given prosperity to a people and founded a nation," unknowing that at that very time fratricidal hands were endeav- oring to rend that glorious union, and dissolve the compact, which had resulted in such national prosperity. The bay lying between Cape Union and Cape Frederick VII he named for Admiral Wrangel whose fame in connection with arctic discovery is second only to that of Sir Edward Parry, and the lofty peak behind Cape Eugenie, overlooking the Polar sea, he named Parry mountain. With that eminent explorer he must divide the honors of extreme northern travel; for if Parry carried the British flag upon the sea nearer to the north pole than any flag had been carried hitherto, Hayes planted the American flag further north upon the land than any flag had been or has since been planted. 1 1 Commander James Clarke Ross, R. N., had thirty years before, viz., May, 1861, fixed the British flag on the north magnetic pole more than eleven degrees to the southward, and took possession of it and the adjoining territory in the name of Great Britain and King William IV. He erected a cairn of some magnitude under which he buried a cannister record of the interesting fact, regretting he had not the means of constructing a pyramid of size and strength sufficient to withstand the assaults of time and the Esquimaux. The latitude of the spot was 70 05' I $" n. longitude 96 46' 4" s. west of Greenwich. The latitude of the magnetic pole is unchangeable but the longitude varies with every succeeding year. It is sufficient honor for Ross that he actually stood upon the magnetic pole of 1831.. PL.iX FLAGS 1861 -64 CONFEDERATE 186? CONFEDERATE ( BATTLE FLAG) CONFEDERATE GEORGIA VIRGINIA SOUTH CAROLINA 1861 CONFEDERATE PROPOSED 1862 PART V. THE STARS AND STRIPES. A. D. 1861-1872 OUR FLAG IN THE GREAT REBELLION. THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR AGAINST OUR FLAG AND UNION. OUR FLAG AT FORT SUMTER. LOYAL FLAG RAISINGS. OUR FLAG IN SECESSIA. SOUTHERN FLAGS. 1861-1865. OUR FLAG SINCE THE WAR. THE RETURN OF REGIMENTAL FLAGS AND TROPHIES. ANECDOTES AND INCIDENTS. 1865-1872. "I am, totis virlbus, against any division of the union by the North river, or by the Delaware river, or by the Potomac, or by any other river, or by any chain of mount- ains. I am for maintaining the independence of the nation at all events." J^ n Adams's Letter, March 13, 1789. " If Kentucky to morrow unfurls the banner of resistance, I never will fight under that banner j I owe a paramount allegiance to the whole union, a subordinate one to my own state." Henry Clay. ff When my eyes shall turn to behold, for the last time, the sun in heaven, may I not see him shining on the broken and dishonored fragments of a once glorious union ; on states dissevered, discordant, belligerent 5 on a land rent with civil feuds, or drenched, it may be, in fraternal blood. Let their last feeble and lingering glance, rather behold the gorgeous ensign of the republic, now known and honored through- out the earth, still full high advanced, its arms and trophies streaming in their ori- ginal lustre, not a stripe erased or polluted, not a single star obscured, bearing for its motto no such miserable interrogatory as JVhat is all this 'worth ? nor those other words of delusion and folly, Liberty first, and Union afterwards, but everywhere spread all over in characters of living light, blazing in all its ample folds, as they float over the sea, and over the land, and in every wind under the whole heavens, that other senti- ment, dear to every true American heart, ' LIBERTY AND UNION, NOW AND FOREVER, ONE AND INSEPARABLE.' " Daniel Webster. " There are only two sides to this question. Every man must be for the United States or against it. There can be no neutrals in this war, only patriots or traitors. I express it as my conviction before God, that it ie the duty of every American citizen to rally round the flag of his country." Stephen A. Douglass. " I have served my country under the flag of the union for more than fifty years, and as long as God permits me to live, I will defend that flag with my sword, even if my own state assails it." Lt. Gen. Winfald Scott. " It is a matter of great anxiety and concern to me that the slave trade is some- times perpetrated under the flag of liberty, our dear noble stars and stripes to which virtue and glory have been constant standard bearers." Lafayette to John Adams, 1786. " I would never have drawn my sword in the cause of America could I have conceived that thereby I was founding a land of slavery." Lafayette. " The national ensign pure and simple, dearer to all our hearts at this moment as we lift it to the gale and see no other sign of hope upon the storm cloud which rolls and settles above it save that which is reflected from its own radiant hues, dearer a thousand fold dearer to us all than ever it was before while gilded by the sunshine of prosperity and playing with the zephyrs of peace It speaks for itself far more eloquently than I can speak for it. Behold it ! listen to it ! Every star has a tongue. Every stripe is articulate. There is no language or speech where their voices are not heard. There's magic in the web of it. It has an answer for every question. It has a solution for every doubt and every perplexity. It has a word of good cheer for every hour of gloom or of despondency. Behold it ! listen to it ! It speaks of earlier and later struggks. It speaks of heroes and patriots among the living and among the dead. But before all and above all other associations and memories, whether of glorious men, or glorious deeds, or glorious places, its voice is ever of union and li- berty, of the constitution and the laws. Behold it ! listen to it ! Let it tell the story of its birth to these gallant volunteers as they march beneath its folds by day, or re- pose beneath its sentinel stars by night. Let it recall to them the strange eventful history of its rise and progress. Let it rehearse to them the wondrous tale of its trials and its triumphs in peace as well as in war." Robert C. Winthrop, Oct. 3, 1861. PART V. THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR AGAINST THE FLAG AND UNION. When the election of Abraham Lincoln as president of the United States, pledged to resist the extension of slavery into the territories, and to confine it to constitutional limits was ascer- tained, the existence of a well organized conspiracy against the unity of our republic was revealed. The leaders of this attempt to blot from our banner and escutcheon the stars of their states had chosen their time well, but in the providence of God, their efforts were futile, and Old Glory^ as our flag was baptized by our soldiers, emerged from the smoke and fire of four years of civil conflict, with the lustre of its constellation increased by the addition of new stars, 1 and its galaxy brightened and strengthened from the experiences of the war. The choice of presidential electors by ballot took place Nov. 6, 1860, when Mr. Lincoln received 180 of the 303 votes of the electoral college, or 123 over all opponents. But of the national popular vote he was in minority 979,163. This fact, and that in the nine slave states no republican electoral ticket was elected, gave a degree of plausibility to the unfounded as- sertion that he would be a sectional ruler, and that he was pledged to wage a relentless war upon the system of slavery, and the rights of the slave states. That his election had been legally and fairly conducted was not denied, or that he was pledged to absolute non-interference with the rights and domestic policy of the states ; but these facts were studiously concealed from the southern peo- ple by their political leaders. Robert Barnwell Rhett, one of the Hotspurs of South Caro- lina, declared that " all true statesmanship in the south consisted Virginia was admitted, as the thirty fifth state of the union on the gd of June 1863, by an act of congress approved Dec. 31, 1862, and having a population of nearly 400,000. Nevada was admitted Oct. 1864; Nebraska has been admitted since the close of the war. 37 290 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE in forming combinations and shaping events, to as speedily as possible bring about a dissolution of the union, and a southern confederacy." Lawrence M. Keith, a representative from South Carolina to the United States congress, about the same time publicly declared in Washington that " South Carolina would shatter the accursed union." Henry A. Wise of Va., wrote to a northern friend : " The south will not wait for the 4th of March. We will be well under arms before then." Howell Cobb, of Georgia, Buchanan's secretary of the treasury, while on a visit to New York pending the canvass said at a pub- lic meeting, he did not believe another congress of the United States would meet, and in an address to the people of Georgia, that, "on the 4th of March, 1861, the federal government will pass into the hands of the abolitionists, it will then cease to have the slightest claims either upon your confidence or your loyalty, and in my honest judgment, each hour that Georgia remains thereafter a member of the union will be an hour of degradation to be followed by speedy and certain ruin. I entertain no doubt either of your right or duty to secede from the union." It was not until two days after this treasonable address that he resigned his place as a cabinet officer of the United States. On the 2Oth of November, Jacob Thompson the secretary of the interior, wrote : " My allegiance is due to Mississippi. A confederacy of the southern states will be strong enough to command the respect of the world, and the love and confidence of the people at home." Mr. Johnson, of Georgia, from his seat in the United States senate Dec. 5, 1860, announced that the slave states intended to revolt. " We intend to go out of the union" he said. " I speak what 1 believe, before the 4th of March five of the southern states at least will have declared their independence. We intend to go out peaceably if we can, forcibly if we must. If five or eight states go out of this union I would like to see the man who would propose a declaration of war against them, but I do not believe with the senator from New Hampshire (Mr. Hale) that there is going to be any war." These, and there were many more like them, were treason- able utterances, but at the time were considered by the people of the northern and western states as simply the intemperate FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 291 outpourings of disappointed politicians. They could not, or were unwilling to realize that there was any fixed design to break the bands of our glorious union. The governors and legislatures of the slaveholding states took early action against the national government. South Carolina led in the movement, as was to be expected. In 1852 that state in convention had declared, "that a state had a right to secede from the confederacy whenever the occasion should arise justifying her, in her judgment, in taking the step," and now her legislature in extraordinary session, the day before the election of Mr. Lincoln, recommended preparations for re- volt. On the yth of Nov. 1860, when the news of Lincoln's election was telegraphed over the length and breadth of the land, Palmetto flags were every where unfurled -in South Carolina. Speeches, harangues and salutes of cannon followed, and in the evening the city of Charleston was illuminated by bonfires. The bark James Gray, lying at one of the Charles- ton wharves, hoisted the Palmetto flag and fired a salute of 15 guns. Palmetto cockades were generally worn in the streets. Two days later, on the Qth of November, a bill passed the South Carolina senate calling a convention for the purpose of secession, which was concurred in by the house on the I2th. Georgia was next to follow the bad example of South Caro- lina, her legislature by a heavy majority voting that a sovereign state had a right to secede from the union. On the I3th of November the military convention by a large majority voted in favor of secession, and its action had great weight with the legis- lature and people. On the following day the legislature voted a million dollars for arming and equipping the militia of the state. On the jth of December, the legislature passed an act providing for the election of delegates, who were to assemble on the 1 6th of January following. The preamble of the bill asserted that the " Present crisis in national affairs demands resistance, and that it was the privilege of the people to de- termine the mode, measure and time of such resistance." The legislature of Mississippi assembled early in November, and adjourned on the 3Oth, its special object being to make pre- parations for the secession of the state. The southern portion of Alabama was strongly in favor of 292 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE secession, whilst the northern portion was as strongly in favor of union. At the opening of the Florida legislature the governor in his message declared the peace and future prosperity of the state de- pended upon secession. Governor Moore called an extra session of the legislature of Louisiana on the loth of Dec., assigning the election of Mr. Lincoln by a party hostile to the people and institutions of the south as a reason. In his message he said he did not think it comported with the honor and self respect of Louisiana, as a slaveholding state, to live under the government of a black republican president, although he did not dispute the fact that Mr. Lincoln had been legally elected. South Carolina seceded in convention, Dec. 10, 1860, and declared " The union now subsisting between South Carolina, and other states under the name of ' The United States of America,' is hereby dissolved." A placard, printed half an hour after the vote was taken, being a copy of the secession ordinance and headed in large letters THE UNION IS DISSOLVED, was scattered broadcast through the town and hailed with joy. Florida, which had been bought and paid for with the money of the United States, followed on the yth of Jan., 1861, and un- gratefully declared, " The state of Florida hereby withdraws herself from the confederation of states existing under the name of the ' United States of America,' and the state of Florida is hereby declared a sovereign and independent nation." Mississippi, next in order, on the Qth of January, 1861, declared all the laws and ordinances by which the state became a mem- ber of the federal union of the United States of America re- pealed. Alabama, on the nth of January, declared that the state of Alabama now withdraws from the union known as " The United States of America," and henceforth ceases to be one of the said United States, and is and of right ought to be, a sove- reign and independent state. Georgia, on the I9th of January, declared and ordered in a similar way that her union with the United States of America was dissolved, and " that the state of Georgia is in full possession and exercise of all those rights of sovereignty which belong and appertain to a free and independent state." FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 293 Louisiana, on the 26th of January, declared her union with the United States dissolved, and " resumed all rights and powers heretofore delegated to the government of the United States," and that she was in full possession and exercise of all those rights of sovereignty which appertain to a free and independent state. Texas, on the yth of February, repealed and annulled the act ratified by her, under which the republic of Texas was admitted into the union, and resumed all the powers which by that com- pact were delegated to the federal government, and declared herself " a sovereign and independent state." J Jefferson Davis was elected Feb. 8, and solemnly inaugurated president of the southern confederacy at Montgomery, Feb. 22d, 1861. Thus, nearly a month before the inauguration of Mr. Lincoln as president of the United States, seven states had formally separated themselves from the union, and elected a president ; yet no effective efforts were made by Buchanan's outgoing administration to draw them back to their allegiance or prevent their departure. The union seemed indeed to be only held together by that rope of sand to which it had been likened. The people of the loyal states looked on in dazed wonder and amazement. They could not, or would not realize the situation, and that under the fallacious idea of state sovereignty, it was held to be in the power of one of the states, even of the smallest, ignoring the rule of the majority, to break the bond of union in which alone was strength, and scatter into as many petty states or principalities the glory and power of the United States of America, and destroy its cherished emblem the stars and stripes. The power and policy of coercing the seceding states back to their allegiance was freely discussed, and was held by a large party 1 These were all the states that formally seceded before the fall of Sumter, though North Carolina was represented in the Montgomery convention. The fall of Sumter hastened Virginia out, on the 1 7th of April, 1861. Arkansas pronounced herself a free and independent state, May 6th. Tennessee did the same on the same day, and North Carolina, waiting for the anniversary of the declaration of Mechlen- burg in 1775, dissolved her connection with the union and ratified the Montgomery constitution on the zoth of May, 1861. Making eleven states in all that formally dissolved all connection with the United States, represented by as many stars on the confederate banners. 294 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE at the north as well as an undoubted majority at the south, impracticable and impossible. Even the New York Tribune said : "whenever a considerable section of the union shall deliberately resolve to go out, we shall resist all coercive measures designed to keep it in. We hope never to live in a republic whereof one section is pinned to the residue by bayonets. 1 Ex-president Franklin Pierce wrote to a friend on the 28th of Nov., 1860. "One decisive step in the way of coercion will drive out all the slave-labor states. Of that I entertain no doubt." The president of the United States, Mr. Buchanan, 2 after putting the question, u has the constitution delegated to congress the power to coerce into submission a state which is attempting to withdraw or has actually withdrawn from the confederacy ?" Answered it by saying, u after much serious reflection, I have arrived at the conclusion that no such power has been delegated to congress or to any other department of the federal govern- ment. The fact is, he added, cc that our union rests upon public opinion, and can never be cemented by the blood of its citizens shed in civil war. Congress possesses many means of preserv- ing it by conciliation ; but the sword was not placed in their hands to preserve it by force." 3 Mr. Buchanan acted honestly no doubt up to this belief to the last hour of his official life, and witnessing state after state dissolving, by ordinance, their con- nection with the union without attempting to restrain them, turned over a divided and distracted country to his successor. It required the attack upon Sumter to arouse the people and cut the gordian knot of political policy and opinions. Prof. S. F. B. Morse, the originator of the Electro-magnetic telegraph in the United States, was an earnest pleader against 1 New York Tribune, Nov. 7, 1 8 60. 2 Buchanan's Annual Message, Dec. 4, 1860. 3 On the 22d of Jan., in an address in Boston On the Political Lessons of the Hour. "All hail disunion !" said Wendell Phillips, the anti -slavery orator. " Sacrifice everything for the union ? God forbid ! Sacrifice everything to keep South Carolina in it ? Rather build a bridge of gold and pay her toll over it. Let her march off with banners and trumpets, and we will speed the parting guest. Let her not stand upon the order of her going but go at once. Give her forts and arsenals and sub treasuries, and lend her jewels of silver and gold, and Egypt will rejoice that she has departed." See Clemens's speech, Congressional Globe, 1860-61, Appendix pages 103, 104, and Springfield Republican^ Jan. 23, 1861. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 295 coercion, and a conspicuous opponent of the war measures of the government during the entire conflict. On the adjournment of the peace convention, he was elected president of The Ameri- can Society for the Promotion of National Union, and worked zealously for the promotion of measures that might satisfy the de- mands of the slaveholders, before "that most lamentable and pregnant error of the attack on Fort Sumter " had been committed. While war was confined to threatening and irritating words between the two sections of the country, he suggested two methods by which our sectional difficulties might be adjusted without blood- shed, and thus stated them in a paper drawn up when the pro- ject of a flag for the southern section was under discussion in the journals of the south : "The first and most proper mode of adjusting those difficul- ties is to call a national convention of the states, to which body should be referred the whole subject of our differences ; and then, if but a moiety of the lofty, unselfish, enlarged, and kind disposition manifested in that noble convention of 1 787, which framed our constitution, be the controlling disposition of the new convention, we may hope for some amicable adjustment. If for any reason this mode cannot be carried out, then the 4 second method is one which circumstances may unhappily force upon us ; but even this mode, so lamentable in itself considered, and so extreme, so repulsive to an American heart, if judiciously used, may eventuate in a modified and even stronger union. This is the temporary yielding to the desire of the south for a separate confederacy ; in other words, an assent to negotiations for a temporary dissolution of the present union. My object in this mode is to secure, in the end, a more permanent perpetual union. I well know that this is a startling proposition, and may seem to involve a paradox ; but look at it calmly and care- fully, and understand what is involved in such an assent. It in- volves, as a paramount consideration, a total cessation on our part of the irritating process which for thirty years has been in operation against the south. If this system of vituperation cannot be quelled because we have freedom of speech ; if we cannot refrain from the use of exasperating and opprobrious language towards our brethren, and from offensive intermeddling with their do- mestic affairs, then, of course, the plan fails, and so will all 296 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE others, for a true union. If we cannot tame our tongues, neither union nor peace with neighbors, nor domestic tranquility in our homes, can be expected." This apostle of peace then proceeds to notice some of the formidable difficulties in the way, such as fixing the boundary line between the two confederacies, and the weighty neces- sity of maintaining in peaceful relations, a standing military army and an army of custom house officials. These considerations, he believed, would cause a perception of the necessity for com- promise, " which embodies a sentiment vital to the existence of any society." There then would be the difficulty of an equi- table distribution of the public property, as well as an agree- ment upon the terms of a treaty " offensive and defensive be- tween the confederacies." " Coercion," he said, "of one state by another, or of one federated union by another federated union," was not to be thought of. " The idea is so fruitful of crime and disaster that no man, in his right mind, can entertain it for a moment. " Supposing these matters settled to the perfect satisfaction of all parties, the question naturally arose in the mind of the writer, "what is to become of the flag of the union!" He answered. "The southern section is now agitating the question of a device for their distinctive flag. Cannot this question of flags be so settled as to aid in a future union ? I think it can. If the country can be divided, why not the flag ? the stars and stripes is the flag in which we all have a deep and the self-same interest. It is hallowed by the common victories of our several wars. We all have sacred associations clustering around it in common, and, therefore, if we must be two nations, neither nation can lay exclusive claim to it without manifest injustice and offense to the other. Neither will consent to throw it aside altogether for a new and strange device, with no associations of the past to hallow it. The most obvious solution of the difficulties which spring up in this respect is to divide the old flag, giving half to each. It may be done, and in a manner to have a salutary moral effect upon both parties." " Let the blue union be diagonally divided, from left to right or right to left, and the thirteen stripes longitudinally, so as to make six and a half stripes in the upper, and six and a half FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 297 stripes in the lower portion. Referring to it, as on a map, the upper portion being north, and the lower portion being south, we have the upper diagonal division of the blue field and the upper six and a half stiipes for the Northern Flag, and the lower six and a half stripes for the Southern Flag. The portion of the blue field in each flag to contain the stars to the number of states embraced in each confederacy. The reason for such divisions are obvious. It prevents all dispute on a claim for the old flag by either confederacy. It is distinctive; for the two cannot be mistaken for each other, either at sea or at a distance on land, each being a moiety of the old flag, will retain some- thing, at least, of the sacred memories of the past for the sober reflection of each confederacy. And then if a war with some foreign nation, or combination of nations, should unhappily occur (all wars being unhappy), under our treaty of offense and defense, the two separate flags, by natural affinity, would clasp fittingly together, and the glorious old flag of the union, in its entirety, would again be hoisted, once more embracing all the sister states. Would not this division of the old flag thus have a salutary moral effect inclining to union? Will there not also be felt a sense of shame when either flag is seen by citizens of either confederacy ? Will it not speak to them of the divisions which have separated members of the same household, and will not the why be forced from their lips. Why is the old flag divided ? And when once the old time-honored banner, bequeathed to us by our honored ancestors of every state, shall be flung to the breeze in its original integrity, as the rallying-point for a common defense, will not a shout of welcome, going up from the Rio Grande to Maine, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific, rekindle in patriotic hearts in both confederacies a fraternal yearning for the old union ? " x The ordinances of secession were soon followed by hostile acts. 1 The Civil War, by B. J. Lossing, vol. I, pages 245 - 7. Seccession and peace flags continued for some time to be raised by non-coercionists which were as quickly pulled down by the citizens of the community whose feelings of loyalty they insulted. A man named Stcclc hoisted a secession flag at East Fair- haven, Mass. He was warned day after day but refused to take it down. He refused to comply with the request, and threatend to shoot whoever attempted to take it down. After parleying awhile he was taken and marched three miles to Mattapoisett, where a 38 298 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE On the loth of January, 1861, a ball was fired athwart the bows of the steamer Star of the West as she was entering Charleston harbor, and on her displaying the stars and stripes, the rebel fortification fired a succession of shots. * The next case of artillery practice against the flag was at Vicksburg on Sunday night, January 13, 1861. The night was dark and rainy, and as the steamer A. O. Tylor, Capt. Colliers, unsuspecting of evil, approached the wharf boat at that place, the Quitman battery of Jackson, Miss., which was planted about three hundred yards above the wharf boat, threw a shot across her bows. The Captain of the Tylor not knowing what it meant, and supposing it a political celebration, continued his course to the landing. The artillerists had a 24 pounder ready, and her not heaving to, the order was given to fire into her, and the match was applied, but fortunately the priming was wet and would not go off, and the boat escaped injury. Among her passengers were seven ladies. The gun was reprimed with fresh powder, but before it could be brought to bear, the Tylor had passed beyond its range and was landing at the wharf boat, utterly unconscious of the peril she had escaped. 2 The southern members did not commence withdrawing from congress until January 12, 1 86 1 . The Mississippi delegation was the first to withdraw, though JefF. Davis did not leave until the 2 ist, when he made a farewell speech. The same day the repre- sentatives of Alabama and Florida withdrew ; a week later the senators from Georgia, and on the 4th of February, the senators from Louisiana. coat of tar and feathers was applied to a part of his body, giving him a handsome set of tail feathers, and then he was compelled to give three cheers for the stars and stripes, and take an oath to support the constitution and never again raise other than the Ameri- can Flag. * *. Boston Transcript April agth. August 24th, 1861. Two attempts were made in Connecticut to raise peace flags, one of which failed, the other was successful. The first was at Stepney. According to previous announcement, a meeting was. to have been organized after the flag raising. No sooner was the flag hoisted, however, than the union men made a rus-h at it, and tore it into shreds. A union meeting was organized which passed a series of union resolutions. The other flag was raised at New Fairfield, about four hundred persons were engaged in the enterprise. Seventy union men attempted to pull it down and a desperate fight ensued, in which two of the peace men were seriously injured. * *. Rebellion Record vol. III. 1 Charleston Courier January loth, 1861. 3 Loyal (Patriotic) Society Tract. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 299 The day the senators from Louisiana withdrew, a peace con- vention or congress assembled at Willard's Hotel, Washington, in which twenty-one of the states, viz: fourteen of the free and seven of the slave were represented. John Tyler, expresident of the United States, 1 was appointed to preside. Nothing however resulted from its conference, and the failure occasioned much disappointment. The day the peace convention assembled at Washington, witnessed another and very different assembling of the southern leaders. Forty-two delegates, chosen by the secession convention of six of the southern states, met at the State House, Montgomery, also for the purpose of perfecting a scheme for the destruction of the union. Honorable Howell Cobb of Georgia (fresh from the cabinet of the president of the United States) was appointed the presiding officer. The next day, delegates from North Caro- lina appeared and were invited to take seats in the convention, and a provisional government was formed. On the 22d of February, when Mr Lincoln, pursuing his journey to Washington to be inaugurated as president of the United States, raised the stars and stripes over old Independence Hall at Philadelphia, Jefferson Davis, late senator -from Mississippi, was inaugurated president of the new southern 'confederacy. In the evening he held a levee in Estelle Hall, and Montgomery was ablaze with bonfires and illuminations. On the nth of February, 1861, Mr. Lincoln, the president elect, left his home in Springfield, Illinois, for the seat of gov- ernment, accompanied by a few friends. A large concourse of his fellow citizens and neighbors gathered at the railway station to wish him God speed. He was visibly affected by this kind attention and addressed his friends and neighbors in a few words, 1 On the 22d of Feb., 1861, James Buchanan, president of the United States, wrote to ex-president Tyler, apologizing because two companies of United States troops performed escort duty on that day. He said : " I found it impossible to prevent two or three companies of federal troops from joining the procession to day, with the volunteers of the district, without giving serious offence to the tens of thousands of people who have assembled to witness the parade. The troops every where else join such processions in honor of the birthday of the father of our country, and it would be hard to assign a good reason why they should be excluded from the privilege in the capital founded by himself. They are here, simply as a posse comitatus, to aid the civil authorities in case of need. Besides, the programme was published in the National Intelligencer of this morning without my personal knowledge, the war de- partment having considered the celebration of the national anniversary by the mili- tary arm of the government as a matter of course." 800 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE and requested that they would all pray that he might receive the Divine assistance in the responsibilties he was about to encounter, without which he could not succeed, but with which, success was certain. When about leaving Springfield, Mr Lincoln received from Abra Kohn, the city clerk of Chicago, a fine picture of the flag of the union, with an inscription in Hebrew written upon its folds. The verses being the 4th to Qth verses of the 1st chapter of Joshua, in which Joshua was commanded to reign over the whole land, the last verse being as follows : " Have not I com- manded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed : for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. " We will not attempt to detail all the incidents of the presi- dent elect's journey, which occupied several days. Everywhere he was greeted with demonstrations of profound respect. Occa- sionally he briefly addressed the crowds who came to see him. His journey resembled a triumphal progress. Party spirit seemed for the time forgotten and cheers were always given for "Lincoln and the constitution." 1 At Indianapolis he was welcomed with a salute of thirty -four guns ; one for each state of the union. The governor of the state received him in person and escorted him to a carriage, which, followed by the members of the legislature and the municipal authorities and escorted by the firemen and military, con- veyed him to the Bates House, where, from the balcony, he addressed the enthusiastic multitude assembled to greet him. He closed his remarks by saying : " While I do not expect on this occasion or until I reach Washington to attempt any long speech, I will only say, to the salvation of the union there needs but one single thing, the hearts of a people like yours." " In all trying positions in which I may be placed, my reliance will be upon you and the people of the United States. It is your business to rise up and preserve the union and liberty for yourselves." In the even- ing he addressed the members of the legislature who waited upon him in a body to pay their respects. On the I2th at noon he reached Cincinnati, and on the I3th at 2. P. M. Columbus, where he was formally welcomed by Lieutenant Governor Kirk on behalf of the legislature of Ohio, assembled in joint session to receive 1 Raymond's History of the Administration of Lincoln. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 301 him. In the evening he held a levee which was largely attended. On the morning of the I4th he left Columbus, and after a brief and formal reception at Steubenville reached Pittsburg the same evening. The next morning the mayor and common council of Pittsburg waited upon him and gave him a formal welcome, to which he briefly responded. He was accompanied to the depot by a long procession of the people, and left for Cleveland where he arrived about half-past four in the afternoon. His arrival was announced by a salute of artillery, and he was escorted by another long procession through the principal streets to the hotel, where he addressed the assembled multitude, and concluded his remarks by saying : " If all do not join now to save the good old ship union on this voyage, nobody will have a chance to pilot her on another voyage." The next morning he left for Buffalo, where he was welcomed by a dense crowd, and responded briefly to the mayor's welcoming speech. Remaining at Buffalo over Sunday, he left Monday morning, and after brief receptions, at Rochester, Syracuse and Utica, at all of which places were as- sembled enthusiastic crowds of people, reached Albany at half past two in the afternoon, where he was formally received by the mayor, and escorted by a procession to the steps of the Capitol, where he was welcomed by the governor of New York in the pre- sence of an immense mass of the people, whom he briefly addressed. He was then escorted to the hall of the assembly and received by the legislature of the state. On the iQth, passing through Troy, Poughkeepsie and Peekskill, and every- where enthusiastically received, he reached New York city about 3. P. M. Arrived at the Astor House, he was compelled by the importunity of the assembled crowd to appear on the balcony and briefly address it. In the evening he addressed a large deputation from the Republican association of the city. The next morning he was officially received by the mayor at the City Hall, and in responding to the mayor's address said : " In my de- votion to the union I hope I am behind no man in the nation. I am sure I bring a heart devoted to the work. There is nothing that could bring me to willingly consent to the des- truction of this union, unless it would be that thing for which the union itself was made. I understand that the ship is made for carrying and preservation of the cargo ; and so long as the 302 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE ship is safe with the cargo it shall not be abandoned. This union shall never be abandoned, unless the possibility of its ex- istence shall cease to exist, without the necessity of throwing pas- sengers and cargo overboard. So long, then, as it is possible that the prosperity and liberties of this people can be preserved within this union, it shall be my purpose at all times to preserve it. " These were brave words, for that time of doubt and peril, which he amply redeemed. On Thursday, the 2ist of Feb., Mr. Lincoln left New York. On reaching Jersey city he was met and welcomed in behalf of the state of New Jersey by the Hon. Wm. L. Dayton. At Newark he was welcomed by the mayor, and at Trenton re- ceived by a committee of the legislature of New Jersey and es- corted to both branches in session. In answer to their welcom- ing speeches he briefly addressed them. To the senate he said: "I am exceedingly anxious that this union, the constitution and the liberties of the people shall be perpetuated in accordance with the original idea for which our struggle for national independence was made ; and I shall be most happy indeed if I shall be an humble instrument in the hands of the Almighty, and of this, his most chosen people as the chosen instrument, also in the hands of the Almighty, for per- petuating the object of that great struggle. I learn that this body is composed of a majority of gentlemen who, in the exer- cise of their best judgment in the choice of a chief magistrate, did not think I was the man. I understand, nevertheless, that they come forward here to greet me as the constitutional presi- dent of the United States, as citizens of the United States to meet the man who, for the time being, is the representative of the nation, united by a purpose to perpetuate the union and the liberties of the people." To the assembly he said : "I appropriate to myself very little of the demonstrations of respect with which I have been greeted. I understand a majority of you differ in opinion from those with whom I have acted. This manifestation is therefore to be regarded by me as expressing devotion to the union, the constitution and the liberties of the people. Received as I am by the members of the legislature, the majority of whom do not agree with me in political sentiments, I trust I may have their FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 303 assistance in piloting the ship of state through this voyage, sur- rounded by perils as it is, for if it should suffer wreck now, there will be no pilot needed for another voyage." The presidential party arrived at Philadelphia at 4 o'clock and on reaching the Continental Hotel Mr. Lincoln was welcomed by Mayor Henry. In his reply he said : " You have expressed the wish, in which I join, that it were convenient for me to re- main long enough to consult, or rather to listen to, those breath- ings arising within the consecrated walls in which the constitution of the United States, and, I will add, the declaration of inde- pendence, were originally framed and adopted. All my political warfare has been in favor of those teachings. May my right band forget its cunning and my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if ever I prove false to those teachings. The next (22d) day he was escorted to Independence Hall. It was an early winter morning, and as the president had to visit the legislature at Harrisburgh in the afternoon, in a special train that was to leave at 8.30, what was to be done had to be done quickly. In front of the ancient temple of liberty a platform was erected, from which Mr. Lincoln was to raise the national flag with its thirty-four stars. As he approached the sacred spot, in a carriage drawn by four white horses, escorted by the Scott Legion, with the flag they had carried to victory in Mexico twelve years before, the scene was highly dramatic. The whole populace was in the streets, and their excitement and enthusiasm baffled description. It recalled Shakespeare's picture of Boling- broke's entrance into London : You would have thought the very windows spake, So many greedy looks of young and old Through casements darted their desiring eyes Upon his visage ; and that all the walls, With painted imagery, had said at once : " Jesu preserve thee ! Welcome Bolingbroke ! " Whilst he, from one side to the other turning, Bareheaded, lower than his proud steed's neck, Bespake them thus : " I thank you, countrymen ;" And this still doing, thus he passed along. Leaving the carriage at the door, he entered, uncovered, the sacred Hall of Independence and there used this language 304 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE which now sounds like a solemn prophecy : " The declaration of independence gave liberty, not alone to the people of this country, but hope for the world for all future time. It was that which gave promise that in our time the weights should be lifted from the shoulders of all men, and that all should have an equal chance. This is the sentiment embodied in the declaration of independence. Now, my friends, can this country be saved upon that basis? If it can, I will consider myself one of the happiest men in the world if I can save it. But if this country cannot be saved without giving up that princi- ple / was about to say I would rather be assassinated on this spot than surrender it." And then, after a few more words, he added solemnly, as he drew his tall form to its fullest height, " / have said nothing but what I am willing to live by, and, in the pleasure of Almighty God, TO DIE BY." When he walked forth to face the mighty concourse outside, and mounted the platform, " his tall form rose Saul-like above the mass." He stood elevated and alone before the people, and, with his overcoat off, grasped the halyards to draw up the flag. Then arose a shout like the roar of many waters. Mr. Lincoln's expression was serene and confident. Extending his long arms, he slowly drew up the standard, which had never before kissed the light of heaven, till it floated over the Hall of Independence. Tears, prayers, shouts, music, and cannon followed and sealed an act which few knew was only the beginning of unspeakable sufferings and sacrifices, ending in his own martyrdom. 2 On the afternoon of the 22d he left Philadelphia, and on reaching Harrisburg was escorted to the legislature where he was welcomed by the presiding officers of the two houses. In his reply he spoke of his part in the morning's drama as follows : " This morning I was, for the first time, allowed the privilege of standing in old Independence Hall. Our friends had pro- vided a magnificent flag of our country, and they had arranged 1 Dec. 9. 1861. There was another flag raising at Independence Hall, when the sailors and marines of the yet unnoticed Hartford, now inseparably connected with memories of Admiral Farragut, but then just arrived at Philadelphia from the East Indies, marched to Independence Hall and presented to the city a splendid silk flag made by them during the voyage home. The flag was raised at noon upon the flag staff amid great enthusiasm, and salutes were fired at the navy yard and from the Hartford. Philadelphia Inquirer. a Anecdotes of Public Men, by Col. G. W. Forney, published in the Philadelphia Press. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 305 it so that I was given the honor of raising it to the head of its staff, and when it went up I was pleased that it went to its place by the strength of my own feeble arm. When, accord- ing to the arrangement, the cord was pulled, and it flaunted gloriously to the wind without an accident, in the bright, glowing sunshine of the morning, I could not help hoping that there was, in the entire success of that beautiful ceremony, at least something of an omen of what is to come. Nor could I help feeling then, as I have often felt, that in the whole of that pro- ceeding I was a very humble instrument. I had not provided the flag. I had not made the arrangement for elevating it to its place. I had applied a very small portion even of my feeble strength in raising it. In the whole transaction I was in the hands of the people who had arranged it. And if I can have the same generous co-operation of the people of this nation, I think the flag of our country may yet be kept flaunting glori- ously." After the delivery of this address Mr. Lincoln devoted some hours to the reception of visitors, and at six o'clock retired to his room. The next morning the whole country was sur- prised to learn that he had arrived at Washington, twelve hours sooner than he had originally intended. His sudden departure proved to have been a measure of precaution for which events, subsequently disclosed, afforded a full justification. An attempt was made on the Toledo and Western Railroad, on the nth of Feb., to throw from the track the train on w.hich he was jour- neying, and as he was leaving Cincinnati a hand grenade was found to have been secreted on board the cars. At Baltimore, an organized and thorough investigation, under the directions of a police detective, resulted in disclosing that a small gang of assassins under the leadership of an Italian, had arranged to take his life during his passage through Baltimore. In conse- quence of what was considered reliable information of this in- tention, Mr. Lincoln so far deviated from the programme he had marked out for himself as to anticipate by one train the time he expected to arrive in Washington, 1 and reached that 1 Mr. Lincoln's narrative of his clandestine journey from Philadelphia to Washing- ton and his reason therefor, substantially in his own words, can be found in Losting't Civil ff^ar, vol. i, pages 279, 280. 306 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE city on the morning of Saturday, the 23d of Feb. On the 4th of March, 1861, he took the oath and assumed the duties of the presidential office. At the time of Mr. Lincoln's inauguration, under the directions of the authorities of the rebel confederacy, nearly all the forts, arsenals, dock-yards, custom-houses, etc., be- longing to the United States, within the limits of the seceded states, had been seized and were held by the representatives of the rebel government. The only forts in the south remaining in the possession of the union, were Forts Pickens, Taylor and Jefferson on the Florida coast, and Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor ; and preparations were far advanced by the rebels for the reduction and capture of them. Officers of the army and navy from the south had resigned their commissions and entered the rebel service. Civil officers, representing the United States within the limits of the southern states, could no longer dis- charge their functions, and all the powers of that government were practically paralyzed. 1 To restore order out of this chaos, and to uphold and preserve the union of the states and the supre- macy of the flag of the United States was the task before him. It was under these circumstances that Mr. Lincoln entered upon the duties of his high office and addressed himself first to the task of withholding the border states from joining the con- federacy, as an indispensable preliminary to the great work of quelling the rebellion and restoring the authority of the consti- tution. 2 The inauguration took place as usual in front of the Capitol, and in the presence of an immense multitude of spectators. A large military force was in attendance under the immediate command of Lieut. Gen. Winfield Scott, but nothing occurred 1 Hon. Henry Wilson, from his seat in the senate on the 2ist of February, said : " Conspiracies are everywhere to break the unity of the republic j to destroy the grandest fabric of free government the human understanding ever conceived, or the hand of man ever reared. States are rushing madly from, their spheres in the con- stellation of the union, raising the banner of revolt, defying the federal authority, arming men, planting frowning batteries, arming fortresses, dishonoring the national fag, clutching the public property, arms and moneys, and inaugurating the reign of disloyal factions. This conspiracy against the unity of the Republic, which in its developement startles and amazes the world by its extent and power, is not the work of a day ; it is the labor of a generation." a Raymond's History of the Administration of President Lincoln. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 307 to interrupt the harmony of the occasion. Before taking ths office Mr. Lincoln delivered his inaugural address. The day of the inauguration was ushered in by a most exciting session of the U. S. senate, that body sitting for twelve hours until 7 o'clock in the morning. As the hands of the clock pointed to midnight, and Sunday gave way to Monday, the 4th of March, the senate chamber presented a curious and animated appear- ance. The galleries were crowded to repletion, the lady's gallery, from the gay dresses of the fair ones there congregated, resembled some gorgeous parterre of flowers ; and the gentle- men's gallery seemed one dense black mass of surging humanity clambering over each other's backs to get a good look at the proceedings. As the morning advanced the galleries and floor became gradually cleared. The morning broke clear and beautiful, and though at one time a few rain drops fell, the day proved just calm and cloudy enough to prevent the unusual heat of the past few days, and the whirlwind of dust that would otherwise have been unpleasant. The public buildings, schools, places of business, etc., were closed. The stars and stripes floated from the City Hall, Capi- tol, and all the public buildings ; while not a few of the citizens flung out flags from their houses or across the principal avenues. Previous to the arrival of the procession the senate chamber did not present a very animated appearance. The many ladies waiting to seethe display, did not arrive until late, and the officers, whose gay uniforms and flashing epaulettes relieve so well the sombreness of the national black, were with the presidential cortege. At five minutes to twelve Vice President Brecken- ridge, who was soon after commissioned a major general in the rebel army, and Senator Foote entered the senate chamber, escorting the Vice President elect, Hon. Hannibal Hamlin, whom they conducted to a seat immediately to the left of the chair of the president of the senate. As the hands of the clock pointed to the hour of twelve the hammer fell, and the 2d session of the 36th congress came to an end. Vice President Breckenridgebade the senate farewell, and then administered the oath of office to Vice President Hamlin, and announcing the senate adjourned without day, left the chair, to 308 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE which he immediately conducted Vice President Hamlin. At this juncture the members and members elect of the house of representatives entered the senate chamber rilling every availa- ble place to the left of the vice president. The foreign diplo- matic corps, in full dress, also at the same moment occupied seats to the right of the chair. It was subject of general remark that the foreign corps were never so fully represented as on this oc- casion. The scene in the senate, while waiting the arrival of the presidential party, seemed to realize the " lying down of the lamb and the lion together." The attendance of senators was unusually full. At fifteen minutes to one, the judges of the su- preme court of the United States of America were announced by the doorkeeper of the senate. On their entrance all on the floor arose and the venerable judges, headed by Chief Justice Taney, moved slowly to the seats assigned them immediately to the right of the vice president, each exchanging salutes with that officer in passing the chair. At ten minutes past one, there was an unusual stir, and the rumor spread like wildfire that the presi- dent elect was in the building. At fifteen minutes past one the marshal in chief, Major B. B. French, entered the cham- ber ushering in the president and the president elect. They had entered together from the street through a private covered passage way on the north side of the Capitol. The line of pro- cession was then formed of the persons in the senate chamber and proceeded to the platform ; when, everything being in readiness, Senator Baker of Oregon came forward and said : "Fellow Citizens, I introduce to you Abraham Lincoln, the president elect of the United States of America." Whereupon, Mr. Lincoln arose, walked deliberately and composedly to the table, and bent low in honor of the repeated and enthusiastic cheering of the countless host before him. Having put on his spectacles, he arranged his manuscript on the small table, keeping the paper thereon by the aid of his cane, and commenced in a clear, ringing voice that was easily heard by those on the outer limits of the crowd, to read his first ad- dress to the people as president of the United States. The opening sentence, u Fellow citizens of the United States," was the s : gnal for a prolonged applause, the good union sentiment thereof striking a tender chord in the popular breast. Again when, FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 309 after defining certain actions to be his duty, he said, " and I shall perform it," there was a spontaneous and uproarious mani- festation of approval which continued some moments. Every sentence which indicated firmness in the presidential chair, and every statement of a conciliatory nature was cheered to the echo ; while his appeal to his " dissatisfied fellow-countrymen " de- siring them to reflect calmly, and not hurry into false steps, was welcomed by one and all, most heartily and cordially. " We are not enemies," he said, " but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. "The mystic cord of memory, stretching from every battle- field and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the union, when again touched, as they surely will be, by the better angels of our nature." These closing words dissolved many of the audience in tears, and at this point, alone, did the melodious voice of the president elect falter. After the delivery of the address, Judge Taney stood up, and all removed their hats while he administered the oath to Mr. Lincoln. Speaking in a low tone the form of the oath, he signified to Mr. Lincoln, that he should repeat the words, and in a firm but modest voice the president took the oath as pre- scribed by the law while the people who waited until they saw the final bow, tossed their hats, wiped their eyes, cheered at the top of their voices and hurraed themselves hoarse. Judge Taney was the first person who shook hands with Mr. Lincoln, and was followed by Mr, Buchanan, and Messrs. Chase, Douglass, and others. A southern gentleman seized him by the hand and said : " God bless you my dear sir ; you will save us." Mr. Lincoln replied : " I am glad that what I have said causes pleasure to southerners, because I then know they are pleased with what is right." After delaying a little upon the platform Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Buchanan, arm in arm and followed by a few privileged persons, proceeded at a measured pace to the senate chamber, and thence to the president's room, while the band played Hail Columbia, Yankee doodle, and the Star Spangled Banner. 310 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE In a short time the procession was reformed, and the president and expresident were conducted in state to the White House. After a few moments delay, the president gave audience to the diplomatic corps who, with great pomp and ceremony, were the first to pay their respects and congratulate him. Then the doors were opened, and the people like a flood tide rushed in upon him. The marshals forming a double line of guards, kept all rudeness at a distance, and everything went off with great success and to the satisfaction of all concerned. The thirty-four little girls who personated the several states of the union, and rode in a gaily decorated car in the procession, halted at the door while they sang Hail Columbia, after which they were received by the president, who gave to each and all of them a hearty and good natured salute, After Mr. Lincoln had been well shaken, the doors were closed, and the marshals of the day were personally introduced to him. He thanked them for their admirable arrangements, and congratulated them upon the successful termination of their duties. They then retired, and the president repaired to his private apartment somewhat overcome by the fatigue and ex- citement he had undergone. In the evening there was an inauguration ball, which was a decided success. Dancing commenced at JO o'clock, and at a quarter before eleven the presidential party came in. The band struck up Hail Columbia, and the party marched from one end of the hall to the other. After a brief promenade, the president with Mrs. Hamlin took stations at the upper end of the room, when a large number of persons availed themselves of the opportunity to be presented. At half-past eleven the president and suite went into the supper room, and so ended the first day of President Lincoln's administration. 1 1 This account of the inauguration of President Lincoln is condensed from the re- port of a newspaper correspondent, who was an eye-witness of the scenes described. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 311 OUR FLAG AT SUMTER. 1861-1865. When the secession excitment in South Carolina, and par- ticularly in Charleston, had reached its height, Major Robert Anderson, a native of Kentucky, was found in command of the United States forces and defences of Charleston harbor, stationed at Fort Moultrie with a force of nine officers, 1 fifty artillerymen, fifteen musicicans and thirty laborers, in all one hundred and four men, of whom only sixty -three were combatants. A na- tive of one slave state, and connected by marriage with another (Georgia), it was hoped on the one side he would betray his trust, and feared on the other, that he would resign it. Thoughtless of the world, and regardless of the ties of family and friendship, he kept a single eye upon his present duty and won the undying honor which ever falls to faith and firmness shown on great oc- casions. 2 With his little band, all of whom proved true, he de- termined to defend his flag and maintain his post. He com- menced at once his precautions against surprise or treachery, and after December u, 1860, no one was admitted to his works unless he was known to some officer of the garrison. Events soon justified his precautions. On the iQth of Dec., Mr. Por- cher Miles stated, in the South Carolina state convention, that but sixty or eighty men garrisoned Fort Moultrie, and Sumter was an empty fortress that could be seized at any time. The next day (the 2Oth) the ordinance of secession passed and Major Anderson saw from his ramparts the equipping and drilling of troops threatening him, and felt the danger and delicacy of his position. On the 24th of Dec., he wrote a private letter in which he set forth the precarious situation in which he was placed ; with a garrison of only sixty effective men in an indiffe- rent work, the walls of which were only fourteen feet high, and within one hundred yards of sand hills which commanded the 1 These officers were, Capt. Abner Doubleday, Capt. J. G. Foster, Capt. T Sey- mour, ist. Lieut. G. W. Snyder, ist. Lieut. Jeff. C. Davis, ist. Lieut. T. Talbot, ad. Lieut. R. K. Meade and Assistant Surgeon S. W. Crawford. Soon after the fall of Sumter Lieut. Meade, joined the insurgents. Most of the other officers attained high rank in our service. Lieuts. Snyder and Talbot died early in the war. 8 Harper's History of the Great Rebellion vol. I. 312 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE position, and with numerous houses within pistol shot, he confessed, "if attacked by anyone but a simpleton, there was scarce a possi- bility of his being able to hold out long enough for friends to come to his succor." General Scott thought the fort could be taken by five hundred men in twenty-four hours. Major Anderson's orders directed him to carefully avoid any act which would needlessly provoke aggression, and without necessity not to take up any position which could be construed into a hostile attitude, but he was also directed to bold possession of the forts^ and if attacked to defend them to the last extremity. If the smallness of his force did not permit his occupying more than one of the three forts, he was authorized in case of an attack, to put his command into either which he deemed most proper to increase his power of resistance, and also to take similar mea- sures, whenever he had tangible evidence of a design to proceed to a hostile act. Christmas day dawned upon Major Anderson under these circumstances, and bound by these instructions. He accepted an invitation to dinner in Charleston. Returning to his post, under cover of the night and the prevailing hilarity, he removed his force from Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter, and placed his little band where he could assert and maintain for a time the authority of the government, and uphold its flag. Major An- derson had kept his secret well, and did his work thoroughly. During the day the wives and children of the troops were sent away, on the plea that an attack might be made on Fort Moul- trie. Three small schooners were hired, and the few inhabit- ants of Sullivan's island saw them loaded, as they thought, with beds, furniture and baggage. About nine in the evening the men were ordered to hold themselves in marching order, with knapsacks packed. No one seemed to know the reason of the movement, and probably their destination was only confided by Major Anderson to his second in command. The little garri- son was paraded, inspected, and then embarked in boats and taken to Fort Sumter, the schooners carrying the provisions, garrison furniture and munitions of war. What could not be removed was destroyed. Not a pound of powder or a cartridge was left in the magazine. The small arms and military supplies of every kind were removed, guns spiked, and their carriages FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 313 burned. The unfinished additions and alterations of the work were destroyed. The flag staff was cut down, that no banner with strange device should occupy the place of the stars and stripes ; in fact nothing was left unharmed except the heavy round shot, which were temporarily useless, by the dismounting and spiking of all the guns. The flag brought away from Moultrie was raised again over Sumter at noon, Dec. 26th, and its raising was rendered impres- sive by the following ceremony. A little before noon Major Anderson as- sembled together around the flag staff the whole of his little force, with the workmen employed on the fort. The national ensign was attached to the cord, and Major Anderson holding the lines in his hand, reverently knelt down. The officers and men clustered around, many of them on their knees, all deeply impressed with the solemnity of the occasion. The chaplain stepped forth and made an earnest prayer, a prayer says one who was present, which was " such an appeal for sup- port, encouragement and mercy as one would make who felt that man's extremity is God's opportunity." As the earnest, so- lemn words of the speaker ceased the men answered amen, and Major Anderson run the star spangled banner up to the head of the staff, the band at the same moment saluting it with our na- tional air, Hail Columbia, while loud and exultant cheers cheers of exultation and defiance were given again and. again by the officers, soldiers and workmen. As these cheers went up, a boat which was sent down from the city to carry back an exact report of the condition of the fortress, saw the national standard rise, heard the loyal shouts, and knew that the wicked hopes of the secessionists of a quiet possession of Fort Sumter were baffled. A ballad of the times written by Mrs. Dorr 1 graphically de- The raising of the Flag at Fort Sumter. 1 Published in the New York Evening Post. 40 314 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE scribes these events. An old man is supposed to be the narra- tor of them to his grandchildren, Dec. 26, 1910, half a century after their occurence. He says : " We were stationed at Fort Moultrie, but about a mile away, The battlements of Sumter stood proudly in the bay ; 'Twas by far the best position, as he could not help but know Our gallant Major Anderson just fifty years ago. " Yes 'twas just after Christmas, fifty years ago to-night The sky was calm and cloudless, the moon was large and bright ; At six o'clock the drums beat to call us to parade And not a man suspected the plan that had been laid. " But the first thing a soldier learns is that he must obey, And that when an order's given he has not a word to say ; So when told to man the boats, not a question did we ask, But silently, yet eagerly, began our hurried task. " We did a deal of work that night, though our numbers were but few, We had all our stores to carry, and our ammunition too ; And the guard ship 'twas the Nina l set to watch us in the bay, Never dreamed what we were doing, though 'twas almost light as day. z " We spiked the guns we left behind, and cut the flagstaff down From its top should float no color, if it might not hold our own Then we sailed away for Sumter, as fast as we could go, With our good Major Anderson, jusf fifty years ago. " I never can forget boys, how the next day at noon, The drums beat, and the band played a stirring martial tune ; And silently we gathered round the flagstaff strong and high, Forever pointing upward to God's temple in the sky. "Our noble Major Anderson was good as he was brave, And he knew without His blessing no banner long could wave, So he knelt, with head uncovered, while the chaplain read the prayer, And as the last amen was said, the flag rose high in air. 1 A small rebel steamer 2 " Just at the close of the evening twilight, when the almost full orbed moon was shining brightly in the southern sky, the greater portion of the little garrison at Fort Moultrie embarked for Fort Sumter." Lossing's History Civil War, vol. I . FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 315 " Then our loud huzzas rung out, far and widely o'er the sea ! We shouted for the stars and stripes, the standard of the free ! Every eye was fixed upon it, every heart beat warm and fast, As with eager lips we promised to defend it to the last ! 'Twas a sight to be remembered boys the chaplain with his book, Our leader humbly kneeling, with his calm undaunted look ; And the officers and men, crushing tears they would not shed, And the blue sea all around us, and the blue sky overhead !" The occupation of Fort Sumter caused great excitement in Charleston. The rebels saw themselves at once baffled and defied. The effect of Major Anderson's change of position was even greater throughout the country at large. Men suddenly saw what they had previously o'nly imagined. Major Ander- son's movement placed the Charlestonians in the attitude of open enemies with whom intercourse was thenceforth to be upon a war footing. So the cry of wrath which went up from the rebel city was answered by a voice of admiration, encourage- ment, and above all of confidence from almost the entire country outside of South Carolina. 1 Among the very people at the north upon whose sympathy the seceders had most counted, even in some of the very states of the south whose fortunes South Carolina believed, with reason, to be indissolubly linked with hers, the occupation of Fort Sumter was regarded as the most prudent and dignified course which could have been taken. Major Anderson's name and his praises were upon all lips which did not mutter treason. Five days after the old flag was raised at Sumter the Nebraska legislature, two thousand miles away to the west, telegraphed to Anderson " A Happy New Tear." The pace of treason, rapid before, was quickened by this movement. On the 2yth, troops were ordered out in Charles- ton, and the afternoon of the same day, Capt. Napoleon Coste, of the revenue cutter William Aiken, hauled down with his own hands the stars and stripes he had sworn to defend, and substituted for them the Palmetto standard, thus giving the rebelh the first vessel of a navy. While he thus forfeited his oats 1 Harper" 1 * Pictorial History of the Great Rebellion. 316 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE of allegiance to the general government, his officers, true to their oaths, reported themselves at Washington. The palmetto state flag within the next three days was hoisted over all the national buildings in Charleston, and upon the United States Arsenal, Fort Moultrie, and Castle Pinckney, all of which were oc- cupied by the troops of the sovereign state of South Carolina. Pre- sident Buchanan, replying to the South Carolina commissioner's complaint of Major Anderson's action, said : "Major Anderson had acted on his own responsibility, and without authority," and that his " first promptings were to command him to return to his former position," but before any step could possibly be taken in that direction he received information that the palmetto flag floated out to the breeze at Castle Pinckney, and that a large military force garrisoned, Fort Moultrie. Under these cir- cumstances it was urged upon him to withdraw the United States troops from Charleston harbor. This he said he could not and would not do, and such an idea had never been thought of by him in any possible contingency. He then added : " I have, while writing, been informed by telegraph that the arsenal has been taken by force of arms, with property in it belonging to the United States worth half a million of dollars. After this in- formation, it is my duty to defend Fort Sumter as a portion of the public property of the United States from whatever quarter the attack should come." On the 8th of January, 1861, on motion of Mr. Adrian of New Jersey, the United States house of representatives passed a resolution " fully approving of the bold and patriotic act of Major Anderson in withdrawing from Fort Moultrie to Sumter, and the determination of the president to maintain that fearless officer in his present position." The resolution further " pledged the support of the house to the president in all constitutional measures to enforce the laws and preserve the union." The Charleston Mercury about the same date, in an article headed " Fort Sumter the Bastion of the Federal Union," concluded with these words: "Border southern states will never join us until we have indicated our power to free ourselves. Until we have proven that a garrison of seventy men cannot hold the por- tal of our commerce. The fate of the confederacy hangs by the ensign halliards of Fort Sumter." FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 317 If the garrison of Fort Sumter was to be retained and sus- tained it must needs be reenforced and provisioned. A large ^i steamship, The Star of the West, was therefore char- tered, and sailed from New York on the 5th of Jan., with a supply of commissary stores and ammunition, and two Steamer Star of the West. hundred and fifty artillery- men and marines toreenforce the garrison. She was cleared for New Orleans and Havana, and did not take the troops on board until down the bay. The Charleston people, however, were fully aware of the project and prepared to receive her. She arrived off Charleston bar on the night of the gth of January, and lay to until morning, the guiding marks to the bar having been removed and the light extinguished. We will let Capt. Me Gowan tell the story of his reception, as reported by him to the owner of his vessel. " Steamship Star of the West, New York, Saturday, Jan. 12, 1861. " M. O. ROBERTS, ESQJ SIR, After leaving the wharf on the 5th inst., at 5 o'clock p. M., we proceeded down the bay, where we hove to, and took on board four officers and two hun- dred soldiers, with their arms, ammunition, etc., and then pro- ceeded to sea, crossing the bar at Sandy Hook at 9 p. M. Nothing unusual took place during the passage, which was a pleasant one for this season of the year. " We arrived at Charleston bar at 1.30 A. M., on the Qth inst., but could find no guiding marks for the bar, as the lights were all out. We proceeded with caution, running very slow and sounding, until about 4 A. M., being then in four and a half fathoms water, when we discovered a light through the haze which at that time covered the horizon. Concluding that the lights were on Fort Sumter, after getting the bearings of it we steered to the S. W. for the main ship channel, where we hove to, to await daylight, our lights having all been put out since twelve o'clock to avoid being seen. " As the day began to break, we discovered a steamer just 318 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE inshore of us, which, as soon as she saw us, burned one blue light and two red lights as signals, and shortly after steamed over the bar and into the ship channel. The soldiers were now all put below, and no one allowed on deck except our own crew, As soon as there was light enough to see, we crossed the bar and proceeded on up the channel (the outer-bar buoy having been taken away), the steamer ahead of us sending off rockets, and burning lights until after broad daylight, continuing on her course up nearly two miles ahead of us. When we arrived about two miles from Fort Moultrie, Fort Sumter being about the same distance, a masked battery on Morris's sland, where there was a red Palmetto flag flying, opened fire upon us distance about five-eighths of a mile. We bad the American flag flying at our flag-staff at the time, and soon after the first shot hoisted a large American ensign at the fore : x We continued on under the fire of the battery for over ten minutes, several of the shots going clear over us. One shot just passed clear of the pilot-house, another passed between the smoke-stack and walking-beams of the engine, another struck the ship just abaft the fore-rigging, and stove in the planking, while another came within an ace of carrying away the rudder. At the same time there was a move- ment of two steamers from near Fort Moultrie, one of them towing a schooner (I presume an armed schooner), with the in- tention of cutting us off. Our position now became rather critical, as we had to approach Fort Moultrie to within three quarters of a mile before we could keep away for Fort Sumter. A steamer approaching us with an armed schooner in tow, and the battery on the island firing at us all the time, and having no cannon to defend ourselves from the attack of the vessels, we concluded that, to avoid certain capture or destruction, we would endeavor to get to sea. Consequently we wore round and steered down the channel, the battery firing upon us until the shot fell short. As it was now strong ebb tide, and the water having fallen some three feet, we proceeded with caution, and crossed the bar safely at 8.50 A. M., and continued on our course for this port, where we arrived this morning, after a boisterous 1 This flag on the occasion of some popular demonstration in 1866, was displayed from the residence of Marshal O. Roberts, the owner of the Star of the West, at the corner of Eighteenth street and Fifth avenue, New York. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 319 passage. A steamer from Charleston followed us for about three hours, watching our movements. u In justice to the officers and crew of each department of the ship, I must add that their behavior while under the fire of the battery reflected great credit on them. " Mr. Brewer, the New York pilot, was of very great assist- ance to me in helping to pilot the ship over Charleston bar, and up and down the channel. Very respectfully, your obedient servantt " " JOHN M'GowAN, Captain." Such is the plain official narrative of the first attempt to re- lieve Fort Sumter, and of the first hostile shot ever directed by fratricidal hands against the majesty of the union represented by our flag. The Charleston Courier stated that in all, only seven- teen shots were fired at the steamer, two of which took effect. Major Anderson, it is said, ordered the ports fronting Fort Moultrie and Morris island to be opened and the guns unlim- bered, and one of his lieutenants asked "to give J em just one shot." u Be patient," replied the major as he stood glass in hand intently watching the approaching steamer. How long they were to be patient will never be known, for at what appeared the critical moment the Star of the West suddenly put her helm to port, turned her head seaward and proceeded out over the bar. Communication with Charleston having been cut off, Ander- son knew nothing of the intention of sending him supplies and reenforcements, and consequently did not know of the special claims the steamer had for his protection. Her putting back relieved him from all anxiety for her safety, but he immediately addressed the following note to the governor of the state. " To his Excellency the Governor of South Carolina : "Sin: Two of your batteries fired this morning on an un- armed vessel bearing the flag of my government. As I have not been notified that war has been declared by South Carolina against the United States, I cannct but think this a hostile act committed without your sanction or authority. Under that hope I refrain from opening a fire on your batteries. I have the honor, therefore, respectfully to ask whether the above- 320 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE mentioned act one which I believe is without parallel in the history of our country or any other civilized government was committed in obedience to your instructions, and notify you, if it is not disclaimed, that I regard it as an act of war, and I shall not, after reasonable time for the return of my messenger, permit any vessel to pass within the range of the guns of my fort. In order to save, as far as it is in my power, the shedding of blood, I beg you will take due notification of my decision for the good of all concerned, hoping, however, your answer may justify a farther continuance of forbearance on my part. "1 remain, respectfully, " ROBERT ANDERSON. " In his reply, Governor Pickens, after stating the position of South Carolina toward the United States, said : u Any attempt to send United States troops into Charleston harbor, to reenforce the forts, would be regarded as an act of hostility :" and, in conclusion, added : " That any attempt to reenforce the troops at Fort Sumter, or to retake and resume possession of the forts within the waters of South Carolina, which Major Anderson abandoned, after spiking the cannon and doing other damage, cannot but be regarded by the authorities of the state as indicative of any other purpose than the coercion of the state by the armed force of the government ; special agents, therefore, have been off the bar to warn approaching vessels, armed and unarmed, having troops to reenforce Fort Sumter aboard, not to enter the harbor. Special orders have been given the commanders at the forts not to fire on such vessels until a shot across their bows should warn them of the prohibition of the state. Under these circumstances, the Star of the West, it is understood, this morning attempted to enter the harbor with troops, after having been notified she could not enter, and consequently she was fired into. This act is perfectly justified by me. "In regard to your threat about vessels in the harbor, it is only necessary for me to say, you must be the judge of your responsibility. Your position in the harbor has been tolerated by the authorities of the state ; and while the act of which you complain is in perfect consistency with the rights and duties of FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 321 the state, it is not perceived how far the conduct you propose to adopt can find a parallel in the history of any country, or be reconciled with any other purpose than that of your government imposing on the state the condition of a conquered province. "F. W. PICKENS." The situation was grave and important, and Major Anderson replied to the governor's letter as follows : u To his Excellency Governor Pic tens : " SIR, " I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication, and say that, under the circumstances, I have deemed it proper to refer the whole matter to my govern- ment, and intend deferring the course I indicated in my note this morning until the arrival from Washington of such in- structions as I may receive. " I have the honor also to express the hope that no obstruc- tions will be placed in the way, and that you will do me the favor of giving every facility for the departure and return of the bearer, Lieut. T. Talbot, who is directed to make the journey. " ROBERT ANDERSON." Having the consent of the governor, Lieut. Talbot was sent with dispatches, and the whole matter laid before the govern- ment at Washington. After the return of the Star of the West to New York from her fruitless effort to relieve Sumter, another expedition was planned by Mr. G. V. Fox, afterwards assistant secretary of the navy, which he explained as follows. 1 " After the Star of the West, had returned from her voyage, I called upon George W. Blunt, Esq., of New York, and ex- pressed to him my views as to the possibility of relieving the garrison, and the dishonor which would be justly merited by the government, unless immediate measures were taken to fulfill this sacred duty. 1 This statement can be found in the Rebellion Record and in Boynton's Hittory(?) of the Navy in the War. 41 322 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE " I explained my plan to Mr Blunt as follows : "From the outer edge of the Charleston bar, in a straight line to Sumter, through the Swash channel, the distance is four miles, with no shoal spots having less than nine feet at high- water. The batteries on Morris and Sullivan's islands are about two thousand six hundred yards apart, and between these, troops and supplies must pass. I proposed to anchor three small men-of-war off the entrance to the Swash channel, as a safe base of operations against any naval attack from the enemy. "The soldiers and provisions to be carried to the Charleston bar in the Collins steamer Baltic ; all the provisions and muni- tions to be put up in portable packages, easily handled by one man. The Baltic to carry three hundred extra sailors, and a sufficient number of armed launches, to land all the troops at Fort Sumter in one night. " Three steam-tugs, of not more than six feet draft of water, such as are employed for towing purposes, were to form part of the expedition, to be used for carrying in the troops and provi- sions, in case the weather should be too rough for boats. " With the exception of the men-of-war and tugs, the whole expedition was to be complete on board the steamer Baltic, and its success depended upon the possibility of running past batteries at night, which were distant from the centre of the channel one thousand three hundred yards. I depended upon the bar- bette guns of Sumter to keep the channel between Morris and Sullivan's islands clear of rebel vessels at the time of entering. u We then discussed the plan over a chart, and Mr Blunt com- municated it to Charles H. Marshall and Russell Sturges ; they approved it, and Mr. Marshall agreed to furnish and provision the vessels without exciting suspicion. " On the fourth of February I received through Mr. Blunt a telegram from Lieut. General Scott, requesting my attendance at Washington. And on the 6th, at eleven A. M., met at the general's office, by arrangement, Lieutenant Talbot, who had been sent from Sumter by Major Anderson. In the general's presence, we discussed the question of relieving Fort Sumter. Lieutenant Talbot's plan was to go in with a steamer, protected by a vessel on each side loaded with hay. I objected to it, as first, a steamer could not carry vessels lashed alongside FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 323 in rough water ; and second, in running up the channel, she would be bows on, to Fort Moultrie, and presenting a large fixed mark without protection ahead, would certainly be dis- abled. " Lieutenant General Scott approved my plan, and introduced me to Mr. Holt, the secretary of war, to whom I explained the project, and offered my services to conduct the party to the fort. Mr. Holt agreed to present the matter to President Bu- chanan that evening. "The next day, the eighth of February, news was received of the election of Jefferson Davis by the Montgomery convention. I called upon General Scott, and he intimated to me that pro- bably no effort would be made to relieve Fort Sumter. He seemed much disappointed and astonished ; I therefore returned to New York on the ninth of February." Thus this attempted relief of the beleagured fortress was aban- doned and the devoted garrison, for the present, left to its own resources. Two days after the attack upon the Star of the West, Governor Pickens sent the secretary of state and secretary of war of the sove- reign state of South Carolina to Sumter, to make a formal demand on Major Anderson for the immediate surrender of that fort to the authorities of South Carolina. They tried every art to persuade or alarm him but he assured them, sooner than suffer such humiliation, he would fire the magazine and blow fort and gar- rison into the air. From that time, the insurgents worked dili- gently in preparations to attack the fort, and the garrison worked as diligently in preparations for its defence. Four old hulks filled with stones were towed into the ship channel and sunk there by the South Carolinians, to prevent supplies and reenforce- ments from coming into the harbor, but the only effect was to change and deepen the channel, as the same expedient did later when, under direction of Captain now Rear Admiral Chas. H. Davis, a number of old whalers nicknamed rat ships, were added to those which had been previously sunk by the rebels for the avowed purpose of blockading and filling the channel. This ex- pedient has been often tried in barred harbors, or entrances swept by strong tides but always with like result. The same effect is shown by the obstruction of piers, wrecks, etc., in the detention 324 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE of organic substances, in tide-swept harbors and rivers. The mouths of the Mississippi, are constantly exhibiting the fact ; a vessel, raft, or tree stopped upon its sand bars, gathers the sand around it frequently so that the object is thrown or borne up and can be walked around, but the running water always cuts a channel elsewhere, until some other obstruction, or the force of inblowing winds pile the sand in another place, fed from the sand about the first obstruction whether vessel or tree, until it is cut away and the object floats on. For three months after the affair of the Star of the West Ma- jor Anderson and his little band suffered and toiled, until their provisions were exhausted, and a formidable army with forts and batteries, prepared expressly for the reduction of his fortress, had grown up around him. The policy of the government compelled him to act as a looker on and not interfere to ob- struct all these preparations against him. On the 3d of Feb., one source of much anxiety for the garrison was removed, the wives and children of the officers and soldiers in Sumter being then borne away in the steamer Marion for New York. They had left the fort on the 25th of Jan., and embarked at the city. When the Marion neared Sumter, the whole garrison was seen on the top of the ramparts. While the ship was passing they fired a gun, and gave three cheers as a parting farewell to the loved ones on board. These salutes were responded to by the waving of handkerchiefs, and tears and sobs, and earnest prayers both silent and audible. On the 1 8th of March, while the secesh gunners were fir- ing blank cartridges from the guns of the iron battery at Cum- mings point they discharged a gun that was loaded with ball, not being aware of the fact. The ball struck the wharf of Fort Sumter close to the gate. Three or four of the ports of Sumter fronting the battery, were at once opened, but no return shot was given, and two hours after, a boat was sent to Major Anderson to explain the matter, who received the messenger in good part. This affair caused no little talk and excitement in Charleston. 1 Major Anderson still had no instructions from his go- 1 Charleston Mercury, March 19, 1861. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 325 vernment and was sore perplexed. On the 1st of April, he wrote to Lieut. General Scott saying : " I think the government has left me too much to myself. It has given me no instruc- tions, even when I have asked for them, and I think responsi- bilities of a higher and more important character have devolved upon me than are proper." To the adjutant general of the army he wrote : " Unless we receive supplies, I shall be compelled to stay here without food or to abandon this fort very early next week." The next day he wrote : " Our flag runs an hourly risk of being insulted, and my hands are tied by my orders ; and even if that were not the case I have not the power to protect it. God grant that neither I nor any other officer of our army may be again placed in a position of such humiliation and mortification." Meanwhile a measure for the relief of the beleaguered garrison hacf been planned. On the I2th of March, Mr. Fox, a relative of the postmaster general, who had proposed a plan of relief earlier, was sent to visit Charleston harbor, and in company with Capt. Hartstene of the navy, who had joined the insurgents, was permitted by Gov. Pickens to visit Fort Sumter on the 2ist. They found that the garrison had provisions to last them until the 1 5th of April, and it was understood by them the fort must be surrendered or evacuated on that day. On his return to Washington, Mr. Fox, reported to the president the fact. 1 Mr. Lincoln was now satisfied that a temporizing policy would not do, and overruling the objections of the general-in-chief and military authorities, he sent for Mr. Fox, and verbally authorized him to fit out, according to his proposed plan, an expedition for the relief of Sumter. The written order was not given until the afternoon of the 4th April, when the president informed Mr. Fox, that in order that " faith as to Sumter " might 1 " Major Anderson seemed to think it was too late to relieve the fort by any other means than by landing an army on Morris island. He agreed with General Scott that an entrance from the sea was impossible ; but as we looked out upon the water from the parapet, it seemed very feasible, more especially as we heard the oars of a boat near the fort, which the sentry hailed, but we could not see her through the darkness until she almost touched the landing." " I found the garrison getting short of supplies, and it was agreed that I mght re- port that the fifteenth of April, at noon, would be the period beyond which he could not hold the fort unless supplies were furnished." " I made no arrangements with Major Anderson for reenforcing or supplying the fort, nor did I inform him of my plan." Extract* from Mr. Fox't letter. 326 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE be kept, he should send a messenger at once to Gov. Pickens that he was about to forward provisions, only, to the garrison ; and if these supplies should be allowed to enter, no more troops would be sent there. These orders issued by the secretary of war to Mr. Fox and by the secretary of the navy to Capt. Mer- cer, the senior naval officer of the expedition were as follows : " WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, APRIL 4, 1861. " SIR : It having been decided to succor Fort Sumter, you have been selected for this important duty. Accordingly, you will take charge of the transports in New York having the troops and supplies on board to the entrance of Charleston har- bor, and endeavor, in the first instance, to deliver the subsistence. If you are opposed in this, you are directed to report the fact to the senior naval officer off the harbor, who will be instructed by the secretary of the navy to use his entire force to open a passage, when you will, if possible, effect an entrance and place both the troops an^ supplies in Fort Sumter. I am sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, " SIMON CAMERON. "Secretary of War." " Captain G. V. Fox. " Washington, D. C." " NAVY DEPARTMENT, APRIL 5, 1861. " Captain Samuel Mercer, Commanding United States Steamer Powbatan, New York : " The United States steamers Powhatan, Pawnee, Pocahon- tas, and Harriet Lane will compose a naval force under your command, to be sent to the vicinity of Charleston, S. C., for the purpose of aiding in carrying out the objects of an expedi- tion of which the war department has charge. " The primary object of the expedition is to provision Fort Sumter, for which purpose the war department will furnish the necessary transports. Should the authorities of Charleston per- mit the fort to be supplied, no further particular service will be required of the force under your command ; and after being satisfied that supplies have been received at the fort, the Pow- hatan, Pocahontas, and Harriet Lane will return to New York, and the Pawnee to Washington. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 327 " Should the authorities at Charleston, however, refuse to permit, or attempt to prevent the vessel or vessels having sup- plies on board from entering the harbor, or from peaceably pro- ceeding to Fort Sumter, you will protect the transports or boats of the expedition in the object of their mission, disposing of your force in such a manner as to open the way for their ingress, and afford, so far as practicable, security to the men and boats, and repelling by force, if necessary, all obstructions toward provisioning the fort and reenforcing it ; for in case of a re- sistance to the peaceable primary object of the expedition, a re- enforcement of the garrison will also be attempted. These purposes will be under the supervision of the war department, which has charge of the expedition. The expedition has been intrusted to Captain G. V. Fox, with whom you will put your- self in communication and co-operate with him to accomplish and carry into effect its object." " You will leave New York with the Powhatan in time to be off Charleston bar, ten miles distant from and due east of the lighthouse, on the morning of the eleventh instant, there to await the arrival of the transport or transports with troops and stores. The Pawnee and Pocahontas will be ordered to join you there at the time mentioned, and also the Harriet Lane." ***** " GIDEON WELLES. u Secretary of the Navy." Mr. Fox proceeded to New York on the 5th of April and, exercising untiring industry and indomitable energy, was able to sail from that point on the morning of the gth, with two hun- dred recruits in the steamer Baltic, Captain Fletcher. The entire relief squadron consisted of the United States ships, Pow- batan, Capt. Mercer, Pawnee, Commander Rowan, Pocabontas, Commander Gillis, revenue steamer, Harriet Lane, Capt. Faunce, and the steam tugs Yankee, Uncle Ben, znd^Freeborn. The Powhatan left New York on the 6th, but when passing down New York bay was, by a special order of the president, taken from the expedition, by Lieut., now Admiral David D. Porter, who sailed in her to the relief of Fort Pickens, at the mouth of Pensacola bay. The Pawnee left Norfolk on the Qth and the 328 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE Pocahontas the same place on the loth. The tugs Freeborn and Uncle Ben left New York on the yth, the Harriet Lane, and tug Yankee on the 8th, and all were ordered to rendevous off Charleston. Soon after leaving New York, the expedition encountered a heavy storm, by which the Freeborn was driven back ; the Uncle Ben obliged to put into Wilmington, N. C., where she was captured by the insurgents ; and the Yankee, losing her smoke stack, was not able to reach Charleston bar until too late to be of service. The Baltic reached the bar on the morning of the I2th just as the insurgents opened fire on Fort Sumter. The Pawnee, and Harriet Lane were already there with orders to report to the Powhatan, the secretary of the navy not having been advised of her change of orders. Mr. Fox boarded the Pawnee, informed Capt., now Vice Admiral Rowan, of his orders, offered to send in provisions, and asked him to convoy the Baltic over the bar. Capt. Rowan replied, that " his orders required him to remain ten miles east of the light, and await the Powhatan, and that he was not going in there to inaugurate civil war." 1 Mr. Fox, in the Baltic, then stood toward the bar, followed by the Harriet Lane, Capt. Faunce, who cheerfully accompanied him. " As we neared the land," says Mr. Fox in his narrative, " heavy guns were heard, and the smoke and shells from the batteries, which had just opened fire upon Sumter, were distinctly visible." " I immediately stood out to inform Captain Rowan, of the Pawnee, but met him coming in. He hailed me, and asked for a pilot, declaring his intention of standing into the harbor, and sharing the fate of his brethren of the army. I went on board and informed him that I would answer for it ; that the govern- ment did not expect any such gallant sacrifice, having" settled maturely upon the policy indicated in the instructions to Captain Mercer and myself. No other naval vessels arrived during this day ; but the steamer Nashville, from New York, and a number of merchant-vessels, reached the bar, and awaited the result of the bombardment, giving indications to those inside of a large naval fleet off the harbor. The weather continued very bad, with a heavy sea ; neither the Pawnee nor the Harriet Lane had 1 Mr. Fox's statement. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 329 boats or men to carry in supplies ; feeling sure that the Powhatan would arrive during the night, as she had sailed from New York two days before us, I stood out to the appointed ren- dezvous, and made signals all night. The morning of the thirteenth was thick and foggy," with a very heavy ground-swell. The Baltic, feeling her way in, ran ashore on Rattlesnake shoal, but soon got off without damage. On account of the very heavy swell, she was obliged to anchor in deep water, several miles outside of the Pawnee and Harriet Lane. "Lieutenant Robert O. Tyler, an officer of very great zeal and fidelity, though suffering from sea-sickness, as were most of the recruits, organized a boat's crew and exercised them, not- withstanding the heavy sea, for the purpose of having at least one boat in the absence of the Powhatan's, to reach Fort Sumter. At eight A. M., I took this boat, and in company with Lieu- tenant Hudson, pulled in to the Pawnee. As we approached that vessel, a great volume of black smoke issued from Fort Sumter, through which the flash of Major Anderson's guns still re- plied to the rebel fire. The quarters of the fort were on fire, and most of our military and navy officers believed the smoke to proceed from an attempt to smoke out the garrison with fire- rafts. "As it was the opinion of the officers that no boats with any load in them could have reached Sumter in this heavy sea, and no tug-boats had arrived, it was proposed to capture a schooner near us, loaded with ice, which was done, and prepara- tions at once commenced to fit her out, and load her for enter- ing the harbor the following night. I now learned, for the first time, that Captain Rowan had received a note from Captain Mercer, of the Powhatan, dated at New York, the sixth, the day he sailed, stating that the Powhatan was detached, by order of superior authority, from the duty to which she was assigned off Charleston, and had sailed for another destination." Before the schooner could be prepared, Fort Sumter had surrendered. The Pochahontas arrived at 2 P. M., and half an hour after, the flag of Sumter was shot away and not raised again ; but we are anticipating that event. The plan for supplying Fort Sumter required three hundred sailors, a full supply of armed launches, 42 330 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE and three tugs. The Powhatan, secretly detached from the expedition, carried the sailors and launches; and the tugs had been disabled and put back ; which, with the unfavorable state of the sea and weather, are reasons enough for the non-success of the attempt. The president in a letter to Mr. Fox, dated May ist, 1861, said : " I sincerely regret that the failure of the late attempt to provision Fort Sumter should be the source of any annoyance to you. The practicability of your plan was not, in fact, brought to a test by reason of a gale well known in advance to be possible, and not improbable ; the tugs, an essential part of the plan, never reached the ground ; while, by an accident for which you were in no wise responsible, and possibly I, to some extent was, you were deprived of a war vessel with her men, which you deemed of great importance to the enterprise." The message of President Lincoln to Gov. Pickens, concern- ing sending supplies to Sumter, was made known at Charleston, on the morning of the 8th of April, and produced intense excite- ment. General Beauregard sent a telegram to Montgomery, which was replied to on the loth, conditionally authorizing him to demand the surrender of Fort Sumter, and if that was refused to reduce it. At 2 P. M. Thursday, the nth, Beauregard sent a letter to Major Anderson, in which he conveyed a demand to evacuate Sum- ter. Anderson at once replied, by letter, that his sense of honor and obligations to his government would not allow him to comply, but remarked to one of the confederate officers : " I will await the first shot, and if you do not batter us to pieces we will be starved out in a few days." This remark was telegraphed to Montgo- mery. The rebel secretary of war, L. P. Walker, telegraphed back that if Major Anderson would state the time when he would evacuate, and agree that, meanwhile, he would not use his guns against them, unless theirs should be employed against Fort Sumter, Beauregard was authorized to avoid the effusion of blood. If this or its equivalent was refused, he was to reduce the fort in any way his judgment deemed practicable. This message was delivered to Major Anderson, at one A. M., the 1 2th, when the latter, in ignorance of what government had been doing for his relief, replied, that, should he not receive con- FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 331 trolling instructions from his goverment or additional supplies, he would leave the fort by noon on the I5th. By request of Col. Chesnut, one of the messengers, Anderson's reply was handed to them unsealed. Scouts had discovered the Harriet Lane and Pawnee, off the bar, and reported the fact to Beauregard, who di- rected his messenger to receive an open reply from Anderson, and if it should not be satisfactory they were to exercise the dis- cretionary powers given them. They accordingly consulted a few minutes in the room of the officer of the guard, and deciding it was not satisfactory, at 3.20 .A. M., April 1 2, addressed a note to Anderson saying : " By authority of Brigadier General Beaure- gard, commanding the provisional forces of the Confederate states, we have the honor to notify you that he will open the fire of his bat- teries on Fort Sumter in one hour from this time." They imme- diately left the fort, when the frag was raised, the postern closed, the sentinels withdrawn from the parapet, and orders given that the men should not leave the bomb proofs without special orders. Patiently, firmly, almost silently, the little band in Fort Sumter waited the passage of that pregnant hour. Suddenly the dull booming of a gun, fired by Lieutenant H. S. Farley, from a signal battery on James island, near Fort Johnston, was heard, and a fiery shell went flying through the black night and ex- ploded immediately over Fort Sumter. The sound of that mor- tar was the signal for battle. After a brief pause the heavy cannon on Cummings point opened fire. To Edmund Ruffin, of Virginia, a grey haired old man who committed suicide at the close of the war because he was unable to survive the defeat of his cause, belongs the infamous honor of firing the first shot against our flag. He hastened to Morris island when hostilities seemed near, was assigned to duty in the Palmetto guard and asked the privilege of firing the first gun on Sumter. It was granted and he has acquired an unenviable fame. He committed suicide by a singular coincidence on the iyth of June, 1865, the anniversary of the battle of Bunker hill, at the residence of his son near Dan- ville, Va., by blowing off the top of his head with a gun, first writ- ing a note in which he said : " I cannot survive the liberties of my country." The first shot from Cummings point was quickly followed by others from the semicircle of military works ar- rayed around the fort for its reduction. Full thirty heavy guns 332 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE and mortars opened at once. For two hours and more there was no reply from Sumter, the storm of shot and shell seeming to make no impression upon it. This silence mortified the in- surgents. Anderson gave orders for the men to remain in the bomb proofs. He had men enough to work but nine guns, and it was necessary to guard against casualities. At half past six the garrison partook of a hearty breakfast little disturbed by the hurling of the iron hail outside of them. It was now broad daylight, and at seven o'clock Anderson ordered a reply to the attack. The first gun was fired at the Stevens battery on Mor- ris island by Captain Abner Doubleday, 1 and a fire from the fort on all the principal opposing batteries followed. The first solid shot from Sumter hurled at fort Moultrie was fired by Assist. Surgeon S. W. Crawford. It lodged in the sand bags and was carried by the special reporter of the Charleston Mercury to the office of that journal. At noon on that fearful day Surgeon Crawford, who had as- cended the parapet to make observations, reported that, through the stormy, misty air, he saw the relief squadron bearing the dear old flag. They signaled their mission by dipping their ensigns. Sumter could not respond for its ensign was entangled in the halyards which had been cut by the enemy's shot, but it still waved defiantly. The vessels could not cross the bar. Its sinuous and shifting channels were always difficult in fine weather ; now the bouys had been removed, ships sunken in the channels, and a blinding storm was prevailing. Dur- ing the day the men worked at the guns without intermission and received food and drink at their posts. The supply of cartridges began to fail, and before sunset all but six of the guns were abandoned. These were worked until after dark when the port holes were closed, and the garrison was divided into watches for work and repose. Several men had been 1 General Doubleday himself informed me that he fired the first shotted gun from Sumter at the rebel batteries. The bombardment of Sumter was opened on Henry Clay's birth day, and the fortress was surrendered on Jefferson's birth day. It may in- terest those curious in such accidental coincidences to know that the first serious con- flict of the civil war in the streets of Baltimore, April 19, 1861, was on the anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord. In the New York stock exchange, April 12, when Kentucky sixes were called, the whole board sprang to their feet and gave three cheers for the gallant Major Anderson. Evening Post. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 333 wounded, but none mortally. Thus closed the first day of actual war upon our flag. The night was dark and stormy ; all night long the mortars of the rebels kept up a slow bombardment. The naval comman- ders outside were prevented by the storm from sending in re- lief. Before dawn the storm ceased and the sun rose in splendor ; but earlier than that the vigorous bombardment and cannonade at the devoted fortress was renewed. Red hot shot were used. Four times on Friday the buildings inside the fort were set on fire, and the fires extinguished ; the barracks and officers quar- ters were again and again ignited, and at last destroyed. The safety of the magazine, and the reserving of sufficient powder to last until the I5th, became now the absorbing care of the com- mander. 1 Blankets and flannel shirts, the sleeves of the latter being readily converted, were used for making cartridges, and every man within the fort was fully employed. The last particle of rice was cooked, and nothing left for the garrison to eat but salt pork. The flames spread, and the -heat became most intolerable. The fire approached the magazine, and its doors were closed and locked ; glowing embers were scattered all about the fort. The main gate took fire, and very soon the blackened sally port was open to the beseigers. The powder in the service magazine was so ex- posed to the flames that ninety barrels of it were thrown into the sea. The assailants knew that the fort was on fire, and that its inmates were dwellers in a heated furnace, yet they redoubled the rapidity of their fire, and poured in upon it red hot shot from most of their guns. The men were frequently com- pelled to lie upon the ground, with wet handkerchiefs on their faces, to prevent suffocation by smoke ; yet they would not sur- render, but bravely kept the old flag flying. 2 1 A gentleman who was present at the battle of Fort Sumter states that a ninety- six pound shell entered that fortification just above the magazine but outside of it, descended through a block of granite ten or twelve inches thick, and exploded, one of its fragments, weighing near twenty pounds, striking the door of the magazine, and so bending it inwards that it was afterwards found impossible to close it without the aid of a mechanic. Within a few hours after this occurrence a red hot shot from Fort Moultrie passed through the outer wall of the magazine, penetrated the inner wall to the depth of four inches, and then fell to the ground. All this time grains of powder, spilled by the men in passing to and from the casements and magazine, were lying loose upon the floor, which ignited by a spark would have blown the structure to atoms. Charleston Courier, June n. 8 In this account of the attack on Fort Sumter I have followed and condensed the nar- 334 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE Eight times had the flagstaff been hit without serious injury ; but at twenty minutes before one o'clock, it was shot away ^ ^ near the peak, and the flag, with a portion of the staff, fell down through the thick smoke among the gleaming embers. Through the blinding, scorch- ing tempest, Lieut. Hall rushed and snatched it up before it could take fire. It was immediately carried by Lieut. Snyder to the ramparts and Sergeant Hart, 1 who had been permitted to come to the fort with Mrs. Anderson in Janu- ary, and remained after she had left on a pledge that he should not be enrolled as a soldier, sprang upon the sand bags, and with the assistance of Lyman, a Baltimore mason fastened the fragment of the staff there, and left the soiled banner flying defiantly while shot and shell were filling the air like hail. Thus repeating a similar historical feat performed near the same spot by the brave and patriotic Ser- geant Jasper eighty-five years before. The halyards were so inextricably tangled that the flag could not be righted. It was therefore nailed to the staff and planted upon the ramparts. 2 At half past one, Gen. Wigfall, who had been United States se- nator from Texas, came in a little boat, accompanied by one white, and two colored men, to the fort bearing a white handkerchief as a flag of truce and demanded admittance. He asked to enter an embrasure, but was denied. " I am Gen. Wigfall " he said, " and wish to see Major Anderson." The soldier told him to Nailing the flag on Fort Sumter. rative in Lossing's History of the Civil War, examining and quoting largely from other authors and official reports on the subject. Mr Lossing was furnished by Major Ander- son with his letter books and papers, and had unusual sources for correct information. 1 Hall was at the time a musician, but subsequently received a lieutenant's commis- sion in the regular army. Hart was a sergeant of the New York Metropolitan police. He had served with Major Anderson in the Mexican war. 2 Mr. Raymond at the Union Park meeting said : " I heard an anecdote to day from Major Anderson. During the attack on Fort Sumter, a report came here that the flag on the morning of the fight was half mast. I asked him if it was true and he said there was not a word of truth in the report. During the firing one of the halyards was shot away, and the flag dropped down, in consequence, a few feet. The rope caught in the staff and could not be reached so that the flag could neither be lowered nor hoisted, and, said the major, ' God Almighty nailed that flag to the mast and I could not have lowered it if I had tried.' FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 335 stay there until he could see his commander. "For God sake let me in cried the gallant new made general, I can't stand out here in the firing." He then hurried around to the sally port, where he had asked an interview with Anderson. Finding the passage strewn with the burning timbers of the fort, in utter despair he ran around the fort waving his white handkerchief imploringly toward his fellow insurgents, to stop their firing. It was useless ; the missiles fell thick and fast and at last he was permitted to crawl into an embrasure, after he had given up his sword to a private, and when almost exhausted with fatigue and affright. Meeting several officers at the embrasure, trem- bling with excitement, he exclaimed : " I am General Wigfall ! I come from Gen. Beauregard, who wants to stop this blood- shed ! You are on fire, your flag is down ; let us stop this fir- ing ! " One of the officers replied : ' our flag is not down, sir, it is yet flying from the ramparts." Wigfall saw it where Peter Hart and his comrades had nailed it and said : " Well, well, I want to stop this." Holding out his sword and handkerchief he said to one of the officers : " Will you hoist this ? " " No, sir," was the reply "it is for you, Gen. Wigfall, to stop them." " Will any one of you hold this out of the embrasure ? " he asked. No one offering, he said : " May I hold it then ? " " If you wish to," was the cool reply. Wigfall sprang into the embra- sure, or port hole, and waved the white flag several times. A shot striking near frightened him away when he cried out ex- citedly : " Will you let some one show this flag ? " Corporal Charles Bringhurst, by permission, took the handkerchief and waved it out of the port hole, but he soon abandoned the peril- ous duty exclaiming : " I won't hold that flag, for they don't respect it. They are firing at it." Wigfall replied impatiently : " They fired at me two or three times, and I stood it ; I should think you might stand it once." Turning to Lieut. Davis, he said : " If you will show a white flag from your ramparts, they will cease firing." " It shall be done," said Davis, " if you request it for that purpose, and that alone of holding a confer- ence with Major Anderson." Major Anderson, with Lt. Snyder and Asst. Surgeon Crawford had in the meantime passed out of the sally port to meet Wigfall. He was not there so they returned, and just as Lt. Davis had 336 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE agreed to display a white flag they came up. Wigfall said to Major Anderson : "I come from General Beauregard who wishes to stop this, sir." " Well, sir ! " said Anderson rising upon his toes and settling firmly upon his heels, as he looked him in the face, with sharp inquiry. " You have defended your flag nobly, sir," continued Wigfall ; " You have done all that can be done, sir. Your fort is on fire. Let us stop this. Upon what terms will you evacuate the fort, sir ? " Anderson replied, " General Beauregard already knows the terms upon which I will evacu- ate this fort, sir. Instead of noon on the I5th, I will go now." " I understand you to say," said Wigfall eagerly, " that you will evacuate this fort now, sir, upon the same- terms proposed to you by General Beauregard ? " Anderson answered, " Yes, sir, upon those terms only, sir." "Then," said Wigfall, inquir- ingly, "the fort is to be ours ?" Yes, sir, upon those condi- tions," answered Anderson, " Then I will return to General Beauregard," said Wigfall, and immediately left. 1 Believing what had been said to him to be true, Major Anderson allowed a white flag to be raised over the fort. At a little before ten o'clock Cols. Chesnut, Pryor, Miles and Capt. Lee, went over from General Beauregard, who was at Fort Moultrie, to inquire the meaning of the white flag. When informed of the visit of Wigfall, they exchanged significant glances, and smiles, and Col. Chesnut frankly informed Major Anderson that the Texan militia general had not seen Beauregard for the last two days. Wishing to secure for himself the honor of procuring the sur- render of Fort Sumter, Wigfall had, by misrepresentations, obtained leave from the rebel commander on Morris island to go to the fort with a white flag in his hand, and a falsehood on his lips. Assured of WigfalPs mendacity, Anderson said to the new deputation : " That white flag shall come down im- mediately." They begged him to leave matters as they were until they could see Gen. Beauregard. He did so and the firing ceased. At two p. M. the Pocahontas joined the relief fleet outside and at half past two the flag of Sumter was shot away and not raised again. 1 This account of Wigfall's adventure is taken from Lossing's Civil War vol. i, p. 326-7. Mr. Lossing derived it from the written statements of Capt. Seymour, Sur- geon Crawford and private Thompson, and the verbal statements of Major Anderson. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 337 During the afternoon and early evening, several deputations from General Beauregard visited Major Anderson, endeavoring to obtain better terms than he had proposed but he was firm. They offered assistance in extinguishing the flames in Sumter. He declined it regarding it as an adroit method of asking him to surrender which he had resolved never to do. Finally between seven and eight o'clock in the evening Major D. R. Jones, accom- panied by Cols. Miles and Pryor, and Capt. Hartstene formerly of our navy, arrived at the fort with a letter from Beauregard containing an agreement for the evacuation of the fort according to Anderson's terms, namely, the departure of the garrison, with company arms and property, and all private property, and the privilege of saluting and retaining his flag. Anderson accepted the agreement, and detailed Lieut. Snyder to accompany Capt. Hartstene to the relief squadron, outside, to make arrangements for the departure of the garrison. A part of that night, the defenders of Fort Sumter enjoyed undisturbed repose. Not one of their number had been killed or seriously wounded in that thirty-six hour bombardment during which over three thou- sand shot and shell were hurled at the fort. The same extraor- dinary immunity from casuality was claimed by the rebels, and it is said the only living thing killed in the conflict, was a fine horse belonging to Gen. Dunnovant, which had been hitched to Fort Moultrie. It was too extraordinary for ready belief, and for a long time there was doubt about the matter, at home and abroad ; testimony shows that it was true. A fortnight later a correspondent of Vanity Fair sung in the following strain : "So to make the story short The traitors took the fort After thirty hours sport With their balls; But the victory is not theirs Though their brazen banner flares From its walls. " It were better they should dare The lion in his lair Or defy the grizzly bear In his den, 43 338 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE Than to wake the fearful cry That is raising up on high From our men. " To our banner we are clinging And a song we are singing Whose chonjs is ringing From each mouth ; 'Tis the old constitution And a stern retribution To the south". The news soon spread in Charleston. Gov. Pickens who had watched the bombardment all Saturday morning with a telescope,, in the evening addressed the excited populace from the balcony of the Charleston Hotel. "Thank God!" he exclaimed : " the war is open, and we will conquer or perish. We have humbled the flag of the United States. I can say to you it is the first time in the history of this country that the stars and stripes have been humbled. That proud flag was never lowered before to any nation on the earth. We have lowered it in humility before the Palmetto and Confederate flags ; and we have compelled them to raise by their side the white flag, and ask for an honorable surrender. The flag of the United States has triumphed for seventy years ; but to day, the I3th of April, it has been humbled, and humbled before the glorious little state of South Carolina." 1 The populace were wild with delight and indulged in a sa- turnalia of excitement in the rebellious city. 1 Major Anderson's gallant defense, however, received the applause of the enemies. 3alladofi%6i, says: ' Mid fiery storms of shot and shell, ' Mid smoke and roaring flame See how Kentucky's gallant son Does honor to her name. See how he answers gun for gun, Hurrah ! his flag is down. The white ! the white ! oh, see it wave Is echoed all around. God save the gallant Anderson, All honor to his name; A soldier's duty nobly done He's earned a hero's fame." E. O. M., Columbia (S. C.) Banner. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 339 The next morning, being Sunday, the fall of Sumter was commemorated in the Charleston churches. The venerable bishop of the diocese, Thomas Frederic Davis, D.D., wholly blind and physically feeble, said a local chonicler, " was led by the rector to the sacred desk" in old St. Phillip's church, and addressed the people with a few stirring words. He said : " Your boys and mine were there, and it was right they should be there." He declared it to be his belief that the contest had been begun by the South Carolinians " in the deepest conviction of duty to God and after laying their cause before God ; and God had most signally blest their dependence on Him." Bishop Lynd of the Roman Catholic church spoke exultingly of the result of the conflict ; and a Te Deum was chanted in the Ca- thedral of St. John and St. Finbar, 1 where he was officiating. On Sunday morning, April 14, 1861), long before dawn, Major Anderson and his command made preparations for leaving the fort. These were completed at an early hour. Lieut. Snyder and Capt. Hartstene now returned, accompanied by Commander Gillis, commanding the Pocahontas ; and about the same time the Charleston steamer, Isabel, provided by the military authori- ties at that city for carrying the garrison out to the Baltic, ap- proached the fort. When every thing was in readiness, the battle torn flag which had been unfurled over Fort Sumter almost four months before, with prayers for the protection of those beneath it, was raised above the ramparts, and the cannon commenced saluting it. It was Major Anderson's intention to fire one hundred guns, but only fifty were discharged, because of a sad accident. Some fixed am- munition near the gun was ignited and the explosion instantly killed private David Hough, mortally wounded private Edward Gallway, and injured several others. The Palmetto guard, which had been sent over from Morris island, with the venera- ble Edmund Ruffin as its color bearer, entered the fort when the salute was ended, and after the garrison had departed, and buried the dead soldier with military honors. 1 At Richmond, Va., there was great rejoicing over the fall of Sumter, 100 guns were fired. Confederate flags were everywhere displayed, while music and illumina- tions were the order of the evening. Gov. Letcher was serenaded, and addressed the people. Correspondent N. TT. Herald, April 14. 340 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE When the flag was lowered, at the close of the salute, the garrison, in full dress, left the fort and embarked on the Isabel, the band playing Yankee Doodle. When Major Anderson left the sally port, it struck up Hail to the Chief. The last to retire was the surgeon who attended the poor wounded sol- diers as long as possible. Soon afterward a party from Charles- ton, composed of Gov. Pickens and suite, Gen. Beauregard and his aids, and several distinguished citizens, went to Fort Sumter i n a steamer, took formal possession of it, and raised the Confede- rate and Palmetto flags. It was evacuated, not surrendered.* The sovereignty of the republic symbolized by the flag, had not been yielded up. That flag had been lowered, but not given up ; dishonored, but not captured. It was borne away by the gallant commander, with a resolution to raise it again over the battered fortress, or be wrapped in it as his winding sheet at last. Precisely four years from that day after four years of civil war Major Anderson, bearing the title of major general in the army of the United States, again raised this tattered flag over the ruins of Fort Sumter, whose walls had meanwhile been shaken and crumbled by the union batteries arrayed against it. The Isabel lay under the walls of the fort, waiting for a favor- ing tide, until Monday morning when she conveyed the garrison to the Baltic. Their late opponents, impressed with the gal- lantry of their defense, stood on the beach with uncovered heads as a token of their respect as the vessel passed. When all the garrison were on board the Baltic, the precious flag for which they had fought so gallantly, was raised to the masthead and sa- luted with cheers, and by the guns of the other vessels of the relief squadron. It was again raised when the Baltic entered the harbor of New York, on the morning of the i8th, and was greeted by salutes from the forts and the plaudits of thousands of welcoming spectators. 2 Off Sandy Hook, Major Anderson wrote the following brief despatch to the secretary of war : lr The night after the evacuation of Fort Sumter, Jeff. Davis and his cabinet were serenaded at Montgomery ; and his secretary of war, L. P. Walker of Alabama, uttered these words : " No man could tell where the war commenced this day would end, but he would prophesy that the flag which now flaunts the breeze here would float over the dome of the old Capitol at Washington before the 1st of May." 3 A correspondent of the Army and Navy Journal who wrote from Phila., Nov. 21, 1863, over the signature C., says that with the boat's crew that was taken in the unsuccessful assault upon Fort Sumter a flag was captured, which Beauregard FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 341 " Having defended Fort Sumter for thirty-four hours, until the quarters were entirely burned, the main gates destroyed by fire, the gorge wall seriously injured, the magazine surrounded by flames, and its doors closed from the effects of heat, four barrels and four cartridges of powder only being available, and no provisions but pork remaining, I accepted terms of evacua- tion offered by Gen. Beauregard, being the same offered by him on the nth inst., prior to the commencement of hostilities, and marched out of the fort, Sunday afternoon the I4th inst., with colors flying and drums beating, bringing away company and private property, and saluting my flag with fifty guns." A month later (May 14, 1 86 1), Major Anderson was honored and his confederates received with unstifled bursts of joy supposing it to be the flag which Major Anderson lowered with a salute when he was obliged to evacuate the fort, supposing that it had been carried by the storming party to rehoist in triumph where it formerly waved. C. says, " when Anderson's flag was lowered at Fort Sumter our Spartan seventy determined to cut it into pieces, and keep the shreds as mementos of their martyrdom. One of Anderson's principal officers, who is now a general, was at my house just after his return from Sumter j and as a great favor, after telling the story, gave me a little scrap of his precious piece, which lies before me as I write." " There may be," he adds, " and usually are two flags at a fort j one for fair weather, and one for storms ; but only one flag was hoisted during the bombardment ; only one braved the battle and the breeze ; only one can claim to be the flag of Fort Sumter. That flag exists only in the little carefully hoarded bits of bunting, and in the affections of all loyal Americans." Army and Navy Journal, Nov. 28, 1863. Another correspondent, H., dating from Washington, Dec. 1st, 1863, says, "I have in my possession a well worn piece of bunting which was presented to me with the following letter : * This is a piece of the original Fort Sumter flag flying at the time of the bombardment, in April, 1861. It was presented by Gen. Anderson to Major General Sumner, who carried it through the Peninsular campaign, and at the battle of Antietam and South Mountain as his head quarters flag. On his leaving the army of the Potomac it was obtained by a friend of mine from whom I procured this piece.' Perhaps this was from flag No. 2, to which your correspondent [C.] refers." Army and Navy Journal, Dec. 5, 1863. Another correspondent who signs himself B., Rochester, N. Y., Dec. 7, 1863, says : " I would like to state that I have in my possession a piece of the flag, pre- sented to me by the general himself, with the following endorsement. ' In com- pliance with the request contained in Mr. 's note, of inst., General Anderson takes pleasure in sending him a small piece of the Fort Sumter flag. NEWPORT, R. I., Oct. 16, 186.* Perhaps C. could tell whether this is a portion of flag No. one or No. Pwo." Army and Navy Journal, Dec. 19, 1863. Still another correspondent, S., [Gen. Truman Seymour,] dating from Folly island, S. C., Dec. 3, 1863, says: C., is certainly in error, arising doubtless from a mis- understanding of the information given ; " shreds were certainly cut from the flag as most precious memorials, but they were only shreds and did not materially affect its size or condition. After being lowered at Sumter the flag was hoisted on the Baltic, which steamer transferred Anderson and his command to the North, it was displayed at the great demonstration in Union square soon afterwards, and is now safely depo- sited in New York." Army and Navy Journal, Dec. 19, 1863. 342 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE by the president of the United States with the rank of brigadier general in appreciation of his distinguished services, and at the request of leading Kentuckians was appointed to a command in that state ; but his terrible experience in Fort Sumter had pros- trated his nervous system, and he was compelled to abandon active service. He was placed upon the retired list in the au- tumn of 1863, and the following year he was brevetted major general. After the war Gen. Andeison removed with his family to Eu- rope where he died October, 1871.* His remains were brought to the United States in the steam frigate Guerriere, and arrived at Fortress Monroe, Va., Feb. 4, 1872, were thence conveyed to New York, and finally with the old battle flag of Sumter waving over them reached their last and appropriate resting place at West Point, April 3, 1872. On Saturday the i8th of February, 1865, precisely four years after the inauguration of JEFFERSON DAVIS at Montgomery as " provisional president of the southern confederacy," the first 1 Gen. Anderson's funeral took place at Nice, October aSth, 1872. The following account of it is taken from a city newspaper // Pensiero di Niz-za of Tuesday, Oct. 31. " The noble simplicity of the funeral of Mr. Anderson, the American general, which took place last Saturday, must furnish a valuable lesson to us. Fife and drum preceded the mourning concourse, because those two warlike musical instruments were the ones which marshalled the Americans to victory or death in their long struggle with the English, to drive them from their country and establish their inde- pendence. There was no funeral drapery around the coffin, because the Americans do not consider death a calamity, but, as a law of nature, as the repose of life, just as night is the repose of the day. There was no hearse, because the Americans desire their remains to be borne to the grave by their own countrymen. There were no torches lighted, becaule Americans regard this ceremony as a mere matter of busi- ness. The great light of day is enough for them, as they consider it the emblem of the soul's life after death. The coffin was covered with their national flag, because Americans who were proud to honor it in their lifetime have the privilege to envelope themselves in it when carried to the grave. Noble flag ! whose stars represent so many republics which shall hereafter be the honor of humanity ! Whose eagle is not represented as pluming its moulted wings, but whose eyes are fixed on the sun, whose wings are spread, ready to start to the highest region of progress and prosperity ! There was no display of ribbons, medals or decorations of honor, because Americans live and die for their country, not for showy distinctions, but as a matter of duty j they know no other distinctions save virtue and patriotism. The uniform of officers and soldiers was simple and decorous ; their silent and grave bearing exhibited their respect and regret for the honored dead and his family. Their mourning was not af- fected, and one might see that sorrow was in their hearts. They were true citizens accompanying to his eternal abode their worthy fellow countryman, General Ander- son. Spectators were penetrated with a feeling of religious sympathy. What a con- trast between this funeral and those of European personages who have died at Nice ! Immense proceessions were then composed almost of hirelings, people obliged to assist. Those who have attended the funeral of General Anderson will not readily have the remembrance of that ceremony effaced from their memories." FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 343 warlike act which followed that assumption of authority was avenged at the place where the flag of the United States was lowered by its own soldiers, to the maddened instruments of the rebellion. About the same hour of the day that the flag floated over the Capitol at Montgomery in rejoicing at the birth of a new political monster, the stars and stripes were reraised over the first of" the forts and places captured by actual warfare. There was something very significant in this coincidence. Four years before the rebellion had commenced its cruel experiment in pride, confidence and defiance. The dearest spot in all its territories, the retention of which was its highest hope and effort, was the pestilential city in which the idea of secession and ruin had been nursed for thirty years, and from which the frenzy stole out like malaria, until it enveloped the whole south." 1 This, the first union flag to float over Sumter after its evacu- ation by Major Anderson, was raised by Capt. Henry M. Bragg, A. D. C. to Major General Gilmore. It had for a staff an oar and a boat hook lashed together. 2 On the anniversary of the evacuation of Fort Sumter four years before, and a few weeks after the fall of Charleston, the identical flag then borne away by Major Anderson, and which had been carefully preserved in the vaults of the Metropolitan Bank N. Y. was by the president's appointment again flung to the breeze over that fortress, which from the bombardments it had re- ceived from both parties in the contest was reduced to a heap of ruins. The following are the official orders, directing the reraising of our flag over its battered rampart. War Department, Adjt. Genl's Office, Washington, March 27, 1365. GENERAL ORDERS, No 50. Ordered, First. That at the hour of noon on the I4th day of July, 1865, Brevet Major General Anderson, will raise and plant upon the ruins of Fort Sumter, in Charleston Harbor, the same United States flag, that floated over the battlements of that fort during the rebel assault, 1 JV. Y. Tribune Wednesday, Feb. aa, 1865. 2 Lossing says : Major J. A. Hennesy was immediately sent to raise the national flag over the ruins of Sumter, at 9 A. M. February i8th. History of the Civil War vol. in. page 464. 344 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE and which was lowered and saluted by him and the small force of his command when the works were evacuated on the 1410 day of April, 1861. Second. That the flag, when raised, be saluted by one hundred guns from Fort Sumter, and by a national salute from every fort and rebel battery that fired upon Fort Sumter. Third. That suitable ceremonies be had upon the occasion under the direction of Major General William T. Sherman, whose military operations compelled the rebels to evacuate Charleston, or in his absence under the charge of Major Gene- ral Q. A. Gillmore, commanding the department. Among the ceremonies will be the delivery of a public address by the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. Fourth. That the naval forces at Charleston, and their com- mander on that station, be invited to participate in the ceremo- nies of the occasion. By order of the President of the United States, EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War. Official, E. D. TOWNSEND. Assistant Adjutant General. In response to the invitations extended to him by the presi- dent and secretary of war, Rear Admiral Dahlgren issued the following order : Flagship, Philadelphia, Charleston Harbor, S. C., April 5th, 1865. GENERAL ORDERS, No. 32. By order of his excellency, Presi- dent Lincoln, the flag of the union that was hauled down at Fort Sumter on the I4th of April, 1861, is to be restored to its place by Major General Anderson, on the next anniversary of that event. The naval forces at Charleston, and myself are invited to participate. Conformably to the above, the United States vessels Paw- nee, Tuscarora, Sonoma, Passaic, Kaatskill, Adams, and such FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 345 others as can be spared, will take position as hereafter directed near Fort Sumter, by six o'clock the morning of the i~4th. As soon as the ceremony begins in the fort, each vessel will dress full, in colors. When the flag is hoisted on Sumter, each vessel will man yards, or rigging if without yards, and give three cheers ; then lay in and down, which having been done, each vessel will fire a salute of one hundred guns, beginning with the senior ship's first gun, and not continuing after her last gun. A body of seamen and marines will be landed under the command of Lieutenant Commander Williams who is the only officer present of those who led the assault on Sumter, which I ordered September 9, 1863, and will therefore represent the officers and men of that column. The various details will be regulated by Fleet Captain Brad- ford. All the officers of the squadron who can be spared from duty are invited to be present and to accompany me to the fort on that occasion, JOHN A. DAHLGREN, Commanding South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. Pertinent to the occasion is the following order issued by the brigadier in command at Wilmington, N. C. Headquarters, District of Wilmington, Wilmington, N. C., April u, 1865. Three years ago this day, a portion of the troops of this com- mand took possession of Fort Pulaski. Here also are men who were engaged in the capture of Forts Wagner and Fisher, and the siege of Sumter. To them the brigadier general command- ing takes great pleasure in publishing the following despatch re- ceived by him from Major General Schofield, commanding the department. It having been reported at their headquarters that a salute of one hundred guns, was fired at Wilmington on the I4th of April, 1 86 1, in honor of the fall of Fort Sumter, the com- manding general directs that you will cause a salute of one hun- 44 316 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE dred guns, to be fired on the I4th of the present month, from rebel guns, and with rebel ammunition in honor of the restora- tion of the stars and stripes over the same fort. Captain A. C. Harvey, is charged with the execution of the order, and he will consult with Lieutenant R. Williams, depot ordinance officer, as to the selection of guns and ammunition. By order of Brigadier General HAWLEY. E. LEWIS MOORE, Captain and A. A. G. Though the day selected coincided with the Christian festival of Good Friday, it could not change the proper and official date of the event to be commemorated, nor was the celebration in any manner discordant with the solemn religious meditations which Good Friday provokes in the minds of so many Christians. A large number of citizens went from the city of New York in the steamers Arago and Oceanus to assist in the ceremonies. Colonel Stewart L. Woodfordofthe rayth New York regiment, who, on the evacuation of Charleston, was appointed its military governor, had special charge of the exercises at the fort. When the multitude were assembled around the flagstaff William B. Bradbury led them in singing his song of Victory at Last, followed by Rally Round the Flag Boys. The Reverend Matthew Harris, chaplain United States army, who made the prayer at the raising of the flag over Sumter, December 27, 1860, now offered an introductory prayer, and pronounced a blessing on the old flag. Doctor R. S. Storrs, of Brooklyn, read selections from the Psalms. Then General Townsend, assistant adjutant general of the United States army, read Major Anderson's dispatch of April 18, 1861, announcing the fall of Sumter. This was followed by the appearance of sergeant Hart with a bag containing the precious old flag. It was attached to the halliards, when General Anderson, after a brief and touching address, hoisted it to the peak of the flagstaff, amid loud huzzas, which were followed by singing the Star Spangled Banner.* Then six guns on the fort opened their loud voices, and were responded to by all the guns from all the batteries around which took part in the bombard- 1 For the songs mentioned see appendix. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 347 ment of the fort in 1861. When all became silent, the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, the chosen orator for the occasion, pro- Repossession of Fort Sumter. nounced an eloquent address. A benediction closed the ceremo- nies, and thus it was that Fort Sumter was formally repossessed by the government. Mr. Lossing states as a curious fact, derived from an old re- sident of Charleston, that not one of the Palmetto Guards^ of which Edmund Ruffin was a volunteer, who fired upon Fort Sumter, and who first entered into possession of it in 1861, was living at the close of 1865, or six months after the war closed. 1 1 Lossing' i Civil War vol. in, page 482. 348 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE LOYAL FLAG RAISINGS, FOLLOWING THE FALL OF FORT SUMTER. 1862. " Let the Flag of our Country wave from the spire of every church in the land, with nothing above it but the cross of Christ." Rev. E. A. Anderson. " Oh, raise that glorious ensign high, And let the nations see The flag for which our fathers fought To make our country free ! Their sons beneath its ample folds, With loyal hearts, and true, May well maintain the Stars and Stripes The Red, White, and the Blue. " From every hill, in every vale, Where freemen tread the sod, And from the spires where freemen meet For prayer and praise to God ; Unfurl the Flag beneath but this, The cross of Calvary ! "-W. The fall of Sumter created great enthusiasm throughout the loyal states, for the flag had come to have a new and strange significance. When the stars and stripes went down at Sumter they went up in every town and county in the loyal states. Every city, town and village suddenly blossomed with banners. On forts and ships, from church spires, and flagstaff's, from colleges, hotels, store fronts, and private balconies, from public edifices, everywhere the old flag was flung out and every- where it w~as hailed with enthusiasm ; for its prose became poetry, and there was seen in it a sacred value which it had never before possessed. 1 " Woe betide the unfortunate house- holder," said a correspondent to the Charleston News? " where colors are wanting when called for. Every window shutter is tied with the inevitable red, white and blue, and dogs, even, are wrapped in the star spangled banner. There is hardly a house in Philadelphia from which the triune colors are not now floating." The demand for flags was so great that the manufacturers could not furnish them fast enough. Bunting was exhausted, and re- 1 Morris and Croffet's Mil. and Civil History of Conn. t 1861-65, p. 55. 2 Charleston News, May 3d. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 349 course was had to all sorts of substitutes. Loyal women wore miniature banners in their bonnets and with untiring ingenuity blended the colors with almost every article of dress ; and men carried the emblem on breast pins and countless other devices. The patchwork of red, white and blue, which had flaunted in their faces for generations without exciting much emotion, in a single day stirred the pulses of the people with an imperative call to battle, and became the inspiration of national effort. All at once the dear and old flag, meant the declaration of independence ; it meant Lexington ; it meant Bunker Hill and Saratoga (although only in the last named battle had it been used) ; it meant freedom ; it meant the honor and life of the republic ; and a great crop of splendid banners came with the spring roses. Tens of thou- sands of youths donned the blue uniform at the call of the presi- dent, and advanced in line of battle, impelled not more by a conscious hatred of treason, than by the wonderful glory that had been kindled in the flag. 1 The president's proclamation calling for 75,000 men to rally to the protection of the flag and the union (double the number certainly that had ever been as- sembled at one time under our banner), was addressed to the governors of all the states on the receipt of the news. As was to be expected, the answers from the slave states were in terms of treason, defiance and contempt ; the responses from the free states were unanimous, full and complete, and so instantaneous that the proclamation seemed adopted by acclamation. Before a day had passed it was manifest that more than twice the number called for was ready at his command. The flag of the republic, how dear to those who were true to it they never knew till then, was raised on that Monday morn- ing after Sumter, by spontaneous impulse, upon every staff" which stood on loyal ground ; and from the lakes to the Potomac, from the shores of the Atlantic to the banks of the Mississippi, the eye could hardly turn without meeting the bright banner which symbolized in its stripes the union and the initial strug- gle, and, in its stars the consequent growth and glory of the nation and the government which the insurgents had banded themselves together to destroy. 2 1 Military and Civil History of Connecticut. 186165. 2 Harper's History of the great Rebellion. 350 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE The following, one of many similar songs, will show the spirit of the times. OUR STAR-GEMMED BANNER. God bless our star-gemmed banner, shake its folds out to the breeze, From church, from fort, from house-top, o'er the city, on the seas ; The die is cast, the storm at last has broken in its might ; Unfurl the starry banner, and may God defend the right. Too long our flag has sheltered rebel heart, and stormy will ; Too long has nursed the traitor who has worked to do it ill ; That time is past, the thrilling blast of war is heard at length And the north pours forth her legions that have slumbered in their strength. They have roused them to the danger, armed and ready, forth they stand, A hundred thousand volunteers, each with weapon in his hand ; They rally round that banner, they obey their country's call, The spirit of the North is up, and thrilling one and all. 'Tis the flag our sires and grandsires honored to their latest breath, To us 'tis given to hold unstained, to guard in life and death ; Time-honored, from its stately folds who has dared to strike a star That glittered on its field of blue ; who but traitors as they are. Would to God it waved above us, with a foreign foe to quell, Not o'er brother faced to brother, urging steel, and shot and shell ; But no more the choice is left us, for our friendly hand they spurn, We can only meet as foemen sad, but resolute and stern. Father dash aside the tear-drop, let thy proud boy go his way, Mother twine thine arms about him, and bless thy son this day, Sister weep, but yet look proudly, tis a time to do or die ; Maiden clasp thy lover tenderly, as he whispers thee good bye : Onward, onward to the battle, who can doubt which side shall win ! Right and might both guide our squadrons, and the steadfast hearts within Shall the men who never quailed before, now falter in the field ; Or the men who fought at Bunker Hill be ever made to yield ? Then bless our banner, God of hosts ! watch o'er each starry fold, 'Tis Freedom's standard, tried and proved on many a field of old ; And thou, who long hast blessed us, now bless us yet again, And crown our cause with victory, and keep our flag from stain. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 351 Accounts of a few of the flag raisings that followed the fall of Sumter, culled from the newspapers of the day, will convey an idea of this patriotic outburst of the people, and the loyalty and devotion, which at once gathered around the chosen symbol of our union. April 20, 1 86 1. A monster meeting of men of all political and religious creeds, gathered around the statue of Washing- ton in Union Square New York, imbued with the sentiment of Jackson, " the union it must and shall be preserved." Places of business were closed that all might participate in its proceedings. It was estimated, that at least one hundred thousand persons were in attendance during the afternoon. Four stands were erected at points equidistant around Union Square ; and the soiled and tattered flag that Anderson brought away from Fort Sumter, mounted on a fragment of the staff, was placed in the hands of the equestrian statue of Washington. Hon. John A. Dix, a lifelong democrat and recently a member of Buchan- an's cabinet, presided at the principal stand near the statue of Washington, and Hon. Hamilton Fish, since Hon. Wm. T. Ha- vemeyer, and Hon. Moses H. Grinnell, presided at the other. A full account of this meeting and report of the speeches can be found in the Rebellion Record. The meeting was opened with a prayer by the venerable Gardner Spring, D.D. Senator Baker of Oregon, afterwards killed at Balls Bluff, in concluding his remarks said " upon the wings of the lightning it goes out throughout the world that New York, by one hundred thousand of her people declares to the country and to the world that she will sustain the government to the last dollar in her treasury, to the last drop of your blood. The national banners leaning from ten thousand windows in your city to day, proclaim your affection and reverence for the union." For many months after this great meeting, and others of its kind in the cities and villages of the land, the government had few obstacles thrown in its way by political opponents ; and the sword and the purse were placed at its disposal by the people, with a faith touchingly sublime. 1 Jpril 24, 1 86 1. A thirty foot flag was flung to the breeze from the store of A. Morton, 25 Maiden Lane. It was made 1 Lansing's Civil War and the Rebellion Record. 352 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE by the family of the Hon. O. Newcomb who volunteered their services, as the unprecedented demand rendered it impossi- ble for the manufacturers to get one up in less than ten days. Four generations assisted in its construction. One of the ladies though but sixty- seven years of age was a great grandmother. As she plied the needle with her not infirm hands, tears fell copiously on the bunting as she recounted her many reminiscences of Washington, and her vivid recollections of the war of 1812. The crowd assembled to witness the raising dispersed with nine cheers for the stars and stripes and nine more for the patriotic ladies who made the flag. 1 April 2yth. The vestry of Grace church, New York, desired that an American flag should wave from the apex of the spire of the church at the height of 260 feet. Several persons under- took the dangerous feat, but on mounting to the highest window in the steeple had not sufficient nerve. At last two young painters named O'Donnel and McLaughlin decided to make the attempt. Getting out of the little diamond shaped window about half way up, they climbed the lightning rod to the top. Here one of them fastened the pole securely to the cross although quite a gale was blowing. The flag secured, the daring young man mounted the cross and taking off his hat bowed to the immense crowd watching him from Broadway. As the flag floated out freely in the air it was hailed with loud and repeated cheers. 2 "The historian of the day" said a paper which ad- vocated secession, 3 u will not fail to mention for the edification of the men of future ages, the fact that the flag which was once the flag of our union floats boldly to the breeze of heaven above the cross of Christ on Grace Church steeple." Eight days earlier (April 19), an American flag, forty by twenty feet, had been flung out upon a flagstaff from a window in Trinity Church steeple at the head of Wall street New York, at a height of 240 feet. At its raising the chimes in the tower played Yankee Doodle, Red White and Blue, and other appropriate airs, winding up with All's Well/ April 23^. Father Rapine, a priest of the Montrose Catholic church at Williamsburgh, with his own hands raised an American 1 New York Times, April, 27. 2 Neiv York News. 3 Neiv York Commercial Advertiser. 4 Neiv "York Tribune. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 353 flag on top of his church. Two thousand people, who had assem- bled, greeted the glorious emblem with cheer upon cheer as it waved majestically over the sacred edifice. 1 An American flag was raised upon the steeple of the North Dutch Church at New York, and nearly every church edifice and public building in the city is decorated in the same manner. 2 April 2%tb. Doctor Weston, the chaplain of the yth New York regiment, preached in the hall of the house of representatives at Washington with his desk tapestried with the American flag. Doctor Bethune, at the raising of a flag over the University of New York, remarked : " The bravery shown by the three hundred Spartans at the pass of Thermopylae was well known, but there still was one coward among them. There was no coward among the men at Sumter. He had been present where a gentleman remarked he regretted that the major had not blown up the fort. Major Anderson replied it was better as it was. The ruined battle- ments and battle-scarred walls of Sumter would be an everlasting disgrace to South Carolina." A flagstaff with a flag was run out of a window over the portico of St. Paul's Church, Broadway, New York. The enthusiasm of the crowd that assembled spontaneously was immense. An American flag was displayed from the tower of the first Baptist Church, Broome street, New York, with appropriate cere- monies, a large concourse listened to stirring speeches from Presi- dent Eaton of Madison University, the Rev. Doctor Armitage, Rev. Mr. Webber of Rochester, and others. Members of the Brown high school of Newburyport raised an American flag near their school building in the presence of a large concourse of citizens, and speeches were made by the Hon. Caleb Gushing and others. April 2Jth. The Hon. Edward Everett delivered an eloquent speech at a flag raising in Chester square, Boston. " We set up this standard" he said, "not as a matter of display ; but as an expressive indication that in the mighty struggle which has been forced upon us, we are of one heart and one mind, that the government of the country must be sustained. * York Tribune. * Commercial Advertiser. 45 354 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE " Why is it," he continued" that the flag of the country always honored, alwaysbeloved, is now at once worshiped, I may say, with the passionate homage of this whole people ? Why does it float as never before, not merely from arsenal and masthead, but from tower and steeple, from the public edifices, the temples of science, the private dwellings, in magnificent display of miniature presenti- ment ? Let Fort Sumter give the answer. When on this day fort- night, the 1 3th of April (a day forever to be held in auspicious remembrance like the dies alliensis in the annals of Rome), the tidings spread through the land that the standard of united America, the pledge of her union, and the symbol of her power, for which so many gallant hearts had poured out their life's blood on the ocean and the land to uphold, had, in the harbor of Charleston, been for a day and a half the target of eleven fratricidal batteries, one deep, unanimous, spontaneous feeling shot with the tidings through the breasts of twenty millions of freemen that its outraged honor must be vindicated." x Cincinnati, after the fall of Sumter, was fairly iridescent with the red white and blue. From the point of the spire of the Roman Catholic Cathedral two hundred and twenty-five feet in the air, Archbishop Purcell caused a well proportioned national flag ninety feet in length to be unfurled with imposing ceremonies, which, wrote the archbishop to Mr. Lossing, " consisted of the hurrahs, the tears of hope and joy, the prayer for success from the blessing of God on our cause and army by our Catholic people and our fellow citizens of all denominations, who saluted the flag with salvos of artillery. The flag was really ninety feet long and broad in proportion. One of less dimensions would not have satisfied the enthusiasm of our people." The Queen city gave ample tokens that the mighty north west was fully aroused to the perils that threatened the republic and was determined to defend it at all hazards. 2 At Roxbury, Mass., a beautiful silk flag was presented by the ladies of the city to Capt. Chamberlain's company, and a pre- sentation address was made by Rev. Doctor Putnam of the Unitarian church. After which the flag was placed in Captain Chamberlain's hands by a little girl tastefully dressed in white, 1 Boston Transcript. a Lossing's Civil War. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 355 trimmed with red and blue. The captain knelt as he received the flag and responded briefly with a voice choked with emotion. 1 May ist. Lieut. Collier of the United States marines attached to the steam frigate Minnesota raised the American flag on the steeple of the old South Church, Boston, Mass. June 28 1 86 1. A flag was raised upon a flag staff on North hill, Needham, Mass. It was run up by Newell Smith Esq., one of the oldest inhabitants, and saluted by the firing of a cannon on a neighboring hill, the Star Spangled Banner by Flagg's band, and the cheers of the spectators. 1 The authorities of Baltimore indeed forbid the display of the American flag, but it was in many instances kept afloat until torn down by the police. After several weeks of trouble and anxiety, the union people prevailed, the rebel ensigns were secreted or de- stroyed, and the stars and stripes were flung to the breeze from a thousand windows and spires all over the city. The attack upon Sumter caused a wonderful change of senti- ment in Maryland. On the ist of May a star spangled banner was raised, with great demonstrations of enthusiasm, from the Post Office and Custom House at Baltimore, by order of the newly appointed officials. A new flagstaff had been erected over the portico of the Custom House, and at noon, precisely, Capt. Frazier, a veteran sea captain of Falls point, drew up the flag which as it spread to the breeze was greeted with tremendous applause, waving of hats, cheers for the union and the old flag. The crowd then joined in singing the Star Spangled Banner. 2 An American flag was raised at Hagarstown, Maryland, with union demonstrations. Alleghany county instructed its representatives that if they voted for secession, they would be hung on their return home. The stars and stripes were hoisted over Frederick city. The home guard refused to parade un- less the stars and stripes were displayed to the tune of Yankee Doodle ; and at Clear Spring House our flag was hoisted and the miners swore to resist secession to the death. 3 May 7. Reverdy Johnson addressed the home guard of Frede- rick, Maryland, upon the occasion of presenting to them a na- tional flag, from the ladies of that place. The population of the Boston Transcript. 3 N. T. Advertiser, May i . 3 N. TT, Courier and Enquirer. 356 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE city was swelled by the addition of upwards of two thousand persons, who poured in from the surrounding towns and villages. Union badges and cockades were displayed in profusion and the stars and stripes fluttered from forty different points. The speakers' stand was draped with the national colors, and imme- diately surrounded by the Brengle guard, a body of about three hundred respectable citizens, principally aged and middle aged men, organized for home protection and defence. Mr. Johnson concluded his speech by saying : " Though not especially impul- sive I cannot imagine how an American eye can look upon that standard without emotion. The twenty stars added to its first constellation tell its proud history, its mighty influence, and its unequaled career. The man who is dead to the influence of our national emblem, is in mind a fool, or in heart a traitor. I need not commend it to your constant, vigilant care ; that I am sure it will be ever your pride to give it. When, if ever, your hearts shall despond, when, if ever you desire your patriotism to be specially animated, throw it to the winds, gaze on its beauti- ful folds, remember the years and the fields over which, from '76 to the present time, it has been triumphantly borne ; remem- ber how it has consoled the dying and animated the survivor ; remember that it served to kindle even a brighter flame, the patri- otic ardor of Washington, went with him through the struggles of the revolution, consoled him in defeat, gave victory an additional charm, and his dying moments were consoled and cheered by the hope that it would float over a perpetual union." Sept. 12, 1 86 1. The anniversary of the battle of Baltimore was celebrated in that city with more than ordinary de- monstration from the part of the loyal citizens. The national flag was displayed on the public buildings, hotels and all the loyal newspaper offices, numerous private houses, shipping etc., and the various camps. General Dix issued orders for firing sa- lutes and dress parades in honor of the day. The association of old defenders made their usual parade with their old flag, which they have not yet deserted. A few secession shopkeep- ers arranged their goods to indicate their southern principles, by hanging out rolls of red and white flannel, or by displaying three flannel shirts, two red with a white one in the centre. All this in " Maryland my Maryland." FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 357 At a mass meeting at Kingston, New York, to sustain the government and defend the union, Mr. J. B. Steele, in taking the chair, said : " It must never be supposed that the flag could be desecrated without touching the soul of every genuine Ameri- can. No ! whatever it must cost, the stars and stripes must wave." z Mr. Westbrook " laid aside party and political opin- ions and prejudices. He loved his party but, thank God, he loved his country better. He wasn't going to stop to consider who was right or wrong, but right or wrong, his country." He grasped the folds of the stars and stripes and said : " Let it be known, that in the XlXth century, traitor's hands, and traitor's hearts are found among us to disgrace that flag which had been their shield, and protection as well as his own. He asked God to record his vow to stand by, protect, and if need be, die for that flag." 2 At Washington our flag was hoisted over the Department of the Interior, and enthusiastically greeted by a dense mass of specta- tors, and by the Rhode Island regiment which was quartered in the building. The regiment was attended by Governor Sprague and suite in full uniform. President Lincoln, and Secretaries Seward and Smith were near the staff when the flag was raised, and having saluted it they were in turn cheered. The regiment then returned to their quarters in the building and sung Our Flag it still Waves. 3 Col. Corcoran's regiment, the 6gth New York, on the occasion of transporting their flagstaff from Georgetown to Arlington heights celebrated the raising of the flag. A new song, by John Savage, called The Starry Flag was sung, the chorus being given by the thirteen or fourteen hundred voices assembled. Three cheers were then given for the author of the song. 4 May 26tb the 5th regiment of Mass., Col. Lawrence, received orders to march over Long bridge into Virginia, when it was dis- covered that they had only their state colors, not having received their national ensign. Several Massachusetts gentlemen immedi- ately began searching for one and succeeded in purchasing from a Mr. Hemmock a fine cashmere flag which had been made by the ladies for his hotel. Securing a carriage they overtook the regi- 1 N. T, Tribune, Sept. 1 3th. 3 New TorJc Post, May jrd 3 N. T. Tribune, April ao. * National Intelligencer, May 3. 358 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE ment, midway on Long bridge, when it was halted, and the flag presented by the committee to the colonel. The night was a beautiful one, a full moon just mounting the eastern sky cast its silvery sheen over the rippling waters of the Potomac and sparkled on the bayonets of a thousand muskets. Camp fires and signal lights dotted the river on both sides, making a picture of quiet beauty never to be forgotten. 1 At a union meeting at Bedford, Westchester Co., N. Y., on the occasion of a flag raising, Senator Hall, Hon. John Jay, the Rev. Mr. Bogg of the Episcopal church, and many others addressed the assembly. 2 At New York, Philadelphia, Trenton, and many other places, the newspaper offices were compelled to display the American flag.3 April 1 6th. An excited populace assembled before the print- ing office of the Palmetto Flag, a small advertising sheet in Philadelphia, and threatened to demolish it. The proprietors displayed the American flag and threw the objectionable papers from the window, also The Stars and Stripes , another paper printed in the same office, and restored the mob to good humor. The crowd then moved to the Argus office, and ordered that the flag should be displayed. After visiting the newspaper offices, the multitude marched up Market street. At all points in their route haste was made to borrow, beg or steal something red, white and blue, to protect property with. Search was made for the publication rooms of the Southern Monitor and its sign broken to pieces. Mayor Henry, when the Palmetto Flag office was threatened, addressed the mob, and said : " By the grace of God treason shall never rear its head or have foothold in Philadelphia. I call upon you, as American citizens, to stand by your flag and protect it at all hazards ; but in doing so remember the rights due your fellow citizens and their private property. That flag'* (hoisting the stars and stripes) " is the emblem of the govern- ment and I call upon all who love their country and the flag to leave to the constituted authorities of the city the task of pro- 1 Nat. Intelligencer. 2 N. T. Times, April ayth. 3 N. T. papers, April i6th. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 359 tecting the peace, and preventing every act which could be construed into treason." x At Saybrook, Connecticut, a fine flagstaff was raised upon the spot which had given birth to the Saybrook Platform^ and but a short distance from the old fort built by the first settlers of the place. Deacon 6V//, ninety-one years of age, a colonel of the war of 1812-14, and the patriarch of the village raised the flag. A prayer and addresses were then made, the intervals being filled by national songs sung by a club from a neighboring vil- lage. In conclusion the old men who were present were called upon, and made short and telling speeches. 2 May 30. The American flag was raised over the residence of Lieut. General Winfield Scott, at Elizabethtown, New Jer- sey, in the presence of five thousand people. The Star Spangled Banner was sung, and the people joined in the chorus producing a fine effect. Speeches were made, and received with great applause. 3 June 16. J. G. Morrison Jr., and several of his friends, un- furled the star spangled banner on the Maryland abutments of the lately destroyed bridge at Harpers Ferry. The cherished symbol of the union was hailed with delight by the people of Harpers Ferry, and particularly by the women, who flocked to the opposite bank, and saluted it by the waving of handkerchiefs and other manifestations of joy. 4 At the raising of the stars and stripes over Andover Semi- nary, the following hymn written for the occasion by Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe, was sung to the tune of America. " Here where our fathers came Bearing the holy flame To light our days Here where with faith and prayer They raised these walls in air, Now to the heavens so fair, Their flag we raise. 1 N. T. Tribune. 3 * Boston Advertiser, May a 1st. 2 N. T. Commercial, May 30. * Baltimore American , June 24. 360 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE " Look ye where free it waves Over their hallowed graves Blessing their sleep ; Now pledge your heart and hand Sons of a noble land Round this bright flag to stand, Till death to keep. " God of our fathers ! now To thee we raise our vow Judge and defend ; Let freedom's banner wave Till there be not a slave Thou thyself strong to save Unto the end." One of the most interesting and imposing ceremonies of the year was the flag-raising from the summit of Bunker hill monu- ment on the seventeenth day of June, the anniversary of the battle. The day was warm and pleasant, and a large concourse of people were assembled. At the base of the monument a stage was erected, on which were the officers of the association, the school children, the city authorities of Charlestown, Governor Andrew and his staff, Colonel Fletcher Webster, of the twelfth regiment, and many other prominent citizens of the state. A fine band of music played national airs. The services were opened with prayer by the Rev. James B. Miles, after which a short and eloquent address was made by Hon. G. Washing- ton Warren, introducing Governor Andrew, who was received with hearty cheers. The governor's address was brief, fer- vent, eloquent, and patriotic. After referring to the men of the revolution who had sacrificed their lives for independence, and made moist the soil of Bunker hill with their blood, he said: u It is one of the hallowed omens of the controversy of our time, that the men of Middlesex, the men of Charlestown, the men of Concord, of Lexington, of Acton, are all in the field in this contest. This day, this hour, reconsecrated by their deeds, are adding additional leaves tp the beautiful chaplet which adorns fhe fair honor of good old Massachusetts. Not unto me, not unto us, let any praise be given. Let no tongue dare speak a FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 361 eulogy for us ; but reserve all the love and gratitude that lan- guage can express for the patriotic sons of Massachusetts who are bearing our country's flag on the field of contest. " Obedient, therefore, to the request of this association, and to the impulse of my own heart, I spread aloft the ensign of the republic, testifying for ever, to the last generation of men, of the rights of mankind, and to constitutional liberty and law. Let it rise until it shall surmount the capital of the column, let it float on every wind, to every sea and every shore, from every hill-top let it wave, down every river let it run. Respected it shall be in Charlestown, Massachusetts, and in Charleston, South Carolina, on the Mississippi, as on the Penobscot, in New Orleans as in Cincinnati, in the gulf of Mexico, as on Lake Superior, and by France and England, now and forever. Catch it, ye breezes, as it swings aloft ; fan it, every wind that blows ; clasp it in your arms, and let it float for ever, as the starry sign of liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable." The flag had been raised to the top of the flag staff forty feet above the summit of the monument and 260 feet from the ground, rolled up as the signal flags are on board of a man-of-war. As Governor Andrew concluded, he pulled the rope, the knot was loosened, and the flag floated out on the breeze, amid the shouts of the assembled thousands, and the playing of the Star Spangled Banner by Gilmore's band. The Star Spangled Banner was then sung by F. A. Hall, Esq., of Charlestown, the whole assem- blage joining in the chorus, and the ladies taking part with peculiar zest. The governor then called for nine cheers for the glorious star spangled banner, which were given with great heart, the ladies waving their handkerchiefs. When the excitement had somewhat subsided, the governor came forward and, in a few complimentary remarks, introduced Colonel Webster. The speech of this gentleman was brief and appropriate. His father had made the oration when the corner-stone of the monument was laid, and again when the monument was completed. Colonel Webster said he well remembered the preliminary meetings of the committee selected to flecide upon the size, character, design, and site of this 46 362 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE monument. They met frequently at his father's house. He could remember the appearance of most of them, Colonel Thomas H. Perkins, William Sullivan, and Gilbert Stuart, the great painter, whose enormous block-tin snuff box attracted his youthful attention. " As a boy, I was present at the laying of the corner stone of this great obelisk under whose shadow we now are. La Fayette laid the stone with appropriate and imposing masonic ceremonies. The vast procession, impatient of unavoidable delay, broke the line of march, and in a tumultuous crowd rushed towards the orator's platform, and I was saved from being trampled under foot, by the strong arm of Mr. George Sullivan, who lifted me on his shoulders and shouting ! ' Don't kill the orator's son !' bore me through the crowd, and placed me on the staging at my father's feet. I felt something em- barrassed at that notice, as I now do at this unforeseen notice by his excellency, but I had no occasion to make an acknow- ledgement of it." He had also witnessed the ceremonies on the completion of the monument in the presence of many distin- guished persons from all parts of the country, ' some of whom,' said Colonel Webster, c I regret to say would hardly like to renew that visit, or recall that scene.' "Within a few days after this I sailed for China : and I watched while light and eye- sight lasted, till its lofty summit faded at last from view. I now stand again at its base, and renew once more, on this national altar, vows, not for the first time made, of devotion to my coun- try, its constitution and union." He concluded as follows : " From this spot I take my de- parture, like the mariner commencing his voyage ; and when- ever my eyes close, they will be turned hitherward toward the north, and in whatever event, grateful will be the reflection that this monument still stands, still is gilded by the earliest beams of the rising sun, and that still departing day lingers and plays on its summit for ever." The services concluded with a benediction by the venerable Father Taylor. The flag thus raised, floated from its serene height during the entire war, until it was as respected in Charles- ton, South Carolina, as in Charlestown, Massachusetts. None who knew Colonel Webster, can read his words on this occa- FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 363 sion, without recalling many pleasant memories connected with his name. It was his last utterance in public ; for, before the close of the next year, he fell in Virginia, at the head of his regiment, in a desperate battle. His body was brought home to Massachusetts, and lay in state at Faneuil Hall a day, when it was taken to Marshfield, and buried by the side of his illus- trious father, and there it will remain forever. 1 Schouler's History of Mass, in the Civil War. 364 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE OUR FLAG IN SECESSIA. At New Orleans a decided excitement was created before the fall of Sumter by a flag being hoisted at the masthead of the ship Adelaide Bell (owned in New Hampshire), which the captain of the ship, more indiscreet than wise, proclaimed to be a black republican flag, and defied any body. to pull it down. Intelligence of the exhibition and its accompanying threat soon spread abroad, and the captain was waited upon by several parties who induced him to lower the obnoxious bunting. The flag which occasioned this excitement was the old stars and stripes, only that the stripe below the union was red, while in the ordinary flags the union rests on a white stripe. The cap- tain, when questioned, denied the flag had any political sig- nificance, and asserted that it was presented to the ship seven years before, by Mr. Isaac Bell of Mobile, after whose wife the ship was named. His statement was disbelieved, and the vigi- lant committee stuck to their assertion that the flag was kpown at sea among sea captains as the flag of the northern republican states, and had been so recognized for three or four years. It would have eased the excitement of those gentlemen, could they have been informed that, as early as 1838, flags like the one hoisted on the Adelaide Bell, with the union resting on the red stripe, were made at the Norfolk navy yard, for the vessels of war equipped, at that station, and that for many years all the flags made there were of like pattern. They were called by signal quarter masters, Norfolk war flags, because the blue of the union rested on the red or war stripe. On the 22d of February, 1861, Mr. Richard Fairchild saw an American flag hoisted at New Orleans in honor of the day, which is believed to have been the last union banner raised there previous to Farragut's arrival off the city. As Mr. Fairchild was proceeding down Front Levee street, he saw a gentleman raise a large American flag, on which was inscribed under two clasped hands the words : " united we stand divided we fall." The an- nouncement of the defiant act created great excitement, and a crowd of secessionists assembled in front of the St. Charles Hotel and proceeded in a body to the levee with the purpose of taking FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 365 down the flag. They found, however, some hundreds of de- termined men surrounding the flagstaff, all armed, and many with rifles, with the avowed purpose of keeping the old flag flying on the birthday of the father of his country. They were undisturbed, and the bunting waved until night, when it was voluntarily taken down. 1 After New Orleans had been captured by our forces, the spirit of treason skulked everywhere. Hotels, saloons, and stores were full of concealed rebels, who would have fiddled and danced over the massacre of union men. At that time few American flags waved in New Orleans, and those only over military quar- ters ; and it became necessary to issue an order for the display of our stars and stripes over places of public resort licensed by the provost marshal. The order was very reluctantly com- plied with, and a few old flags waved from some hotels and theatres. But so vindictive and morose was the secesh feeling that the managers of the theatres felt bound to cater for it. They refused to permit the orchestra to play any one of our national airs. A thrilling scene arose one night when a call arose from a few union men, and United States officers in the theatre for the band to play Hail Columbia and the Star Spangled Banner. The cowardly manager declined. It was then a single man arose in the boxes and cried out that the American national airs should be played. He called upon loyal men to second him. The house became a scene of fierce excitement. But the brave loyalist stood his ground. He demanded the Star Spangled Ban- ner, and Red White and Blue, should be given, and the mana- ger was forced to yield. That gallant loyalist was Doct. A. P. Dostie, who, after the war, was murdered in New Orleans. 2 The union association of New Orleans held their first public meeting in that city on the 3d of June, 1862, and resolved to rehoist the United States flag on the following Saturday. It was determined to appoint a committee of thirty-four to perform the duty, but the president of the association finding some difficulty in selecting that number, volunteers were called for and readily found. Six or seven of the thirty-four were inti- midated by anonymous threatening letters, which were received by nearly every member of the committee ; the others ascended 1 New York Sunday Dispatch. "* Banner of the Covenant, June 15, 1861. 366 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE to the top of the City Hall and hoisted the flag. In 1866, this flag was sent to Washington and by advice of General Butler, to whom the question of its deposit was referred, it was delivered to the revenue department of the treasury. Secretary McCul- och, acknowledging its receipt wrote to Dr. James Ready, who had been charged with the duty of conveying the flag to the capi- tal : " I will carefully preserve it as a memento of the great trial through which the nation has safely and honorably passed, and of the loyalty of the gallant little band who first gave it to the breeze. It will be preserved, not as a reminder of the triumph of one section of the country over another, but of the union over those who attempted to dismember it ; not of a victory of the north over the south, but of constitutional liberty and repub- lican institutions in the great struggle of the government for the maintenance of both." The Restoration of our Flag at New Orleans. On the 26th of April, 1862, flag officer Farragut wrote to the mayor of New Orleans demanding "that the emblem of the sovereignty of the United States be hoisted over the City Hall, Mint and Custom House by meridian of this day, and all flags and other emblems of sovereignty other than that of the United States be removed from the public buildings by that hour." To this, the next day (Sunday, April 27th), the mayor replied : " the city is yours by the power of brutal force, not by my choice or the consent of its inhabitants. As to hoisting any flag not of our own adoption, and allegiance, let me say to you that the man lives npt in our midst whose hand and heart would not be paralyzed at the mere thought of such an act; nor could I find in my entire constituency so des- perate and wretched a renegade as would dare to profane with his hand the sacred emblems of our aspirations." The substance of the mayor's meaning seemed to be " come on shore and hoist what flags you please, dont ask us to do your flag raising." J The commander of the fleet refused to confer farther with the mayor ; but with regard to the flag hoisting, determined to take him at his word. Capt. H. W. Morris, whose ship the Pensacola lay off the Mint, was ordered to send a party ashore, and hoist the flag of the United States upon that edifice. At eight A. M., 1 Parton's Butler at New Orleans, from which this account is condensed. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. the stars and stripes were floating over it, and the officer detailed to hoist them warned the bystanders that the guns of the Pensa- cola would certainly open fire upon the building if any one should be seen molesting the flag. Without leaving a guard to protect the flag he returned to his ship ; but the howitzers in the main top of the Pensacola, loaded with grape, were aimed at the flag staff and the guard ordered to fire the moment any one should attempt to haul down the flag. At ii A. M., the crews of all the ships were assembled on deck for prayers, agreeably to the flag officer's order, " to render thanks to Almighty God for his great goodness and mercy in permitting us to pass through the events of the last two days with so little loss of life and blood." The solemn service had proceeded about twenty minutes when a discharge from the howitzer overhead startled the crews from their devotion ! They rushed to quarters ; every eye sought the flagstaff of the Mint. Four men were seen on the roof of the building who tore down the flag, hurried away with it and disappeared. Fortunately the wafers by which the guns are discharged had been removed from the vents, for, without orders, by a sudden impulse the lanyards of the guns all along the broadside of the Penscola were snatched at by eager hands and nothing but the removal of the wafers saved the city from a fearful scene of destruction and slaughter. The exasperation throughout the fleet at the auda- cious act was equally great. The next day (Monday), the New Orleans Picayune proclaimed the names of the persons u that distinguished themselves by gal- lantly tearing down the flag that had been surreptitiously hoisted, " as " Wm. B. Mumford,whocut it loose from the flagstaff amid a shower of grape, Lieut. N. Holmes, Sergeant Burns and James Reed," and added, " they deserve great credit for their patriotic act. " These four men, having secured their prize, trailed it in the mud of the streets amid the yells of the mob, and mounted with it upon a furniture cart, they paraded it about the city with fife and drum ; tore it into shreds, and distributed the pieces among the crowd. Defied and insulted by a town that lay at his mercy, Farragut warned the mayor of the danger of drawing the 368 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE fire of the fleet from the spontaneous action of his men, 1 and concluded by saying : " The election is with you, but it becomes my duty to notify you to remove the women and children from the city within forty-eight hours, if I have rightly understood your determination." This note the authorities chose to in- terpret as a formal announcement of his intention to bombard the city at the end of the specified time. 2 The surrender of the forts, the news of which reached the city on Monday, lowered the tone of the authorities. They dared not formally disclaim the exploit of Mumford and his associates ; but the flag officer was privately assured that the removal of the flag from the Mint was the unauthorized act of a few individuals. On the 29th, Capt. H. H. Bell, with a hundred marines, landed on the levee, marched into the city, hauled down the rebel flags from the Mint and Custom House, and hoisted in its stead the flag of the United States. Capt. Bell locked the Custom House and took the keys to the flag ship. These flags remained though the marines were withdrawn before evening. 3 On the ist of May 1 The first United States flag hoisted outside the squadron when in front of New Orleans, was a small boat flag hoisted by my order, Friday, April 25, at the masthead of the schooner John Gilpin, then lying at a wharf at Algiers, opposite side the city. Her master, John Forsyth, I took on board the flag ship, where he was paroled on agreeing to keep the flag flying and secure the schooner from destruction by the mob. On the 28th, a man came on board the Kathadin, and stated to me that he was a loyal man and was afraid the fleet would bombafd his little place at Gretna, opposite New Orleans, and destroy his house and garden. I told him he could easily prevent that by hoisting the stars and stripes over his place. He said he was afraid to do that ; the mob would murder him. I then told him he must choose between the dangers of the mob and a bombardment, and offered to loan him a flag," which he ac- cepted and carried away with him, and I have reason to believe, hoisted it, but of that am not certain." G.H.P. 2 Parton's General Butler in Neiu Orleans. 8 " I find in my private diary under date, United States Gunboat Kathadin, Tuesday, April 29, 1862. " Heard great cheering in the fleet at 8 A. M., and the ships all hoisted the stars and stripes at their masthead indicative of good news, but what, I could not tell. Nevertheless I hoisted the ensigns. The Kennebec came up showing either she had run the forts or that they had surrendered. At i p. M., got under way and an- chored near the Hartford and went on board to obtain the news, and learned that both Forts Jackson and St. Phillips have surrendered to Porter, and the Cayuga would sail in a few hours for the north, with Capt. Theodorus Bailey, a bearer of dis- patches. Commander Boggs and the N. Y. Herald correspondent going in her as passengers. Delivered to Capt. B.,the flag of the Challamette regiment. At 2 p. M. the Cayuga got under way. As she passed the Kathadin, we gave three cheers for Captain Bailey, three for Commander Boggs and three for Lieut. Commanding Har- rison, and the brave tars of the Cayuga. The Diana, Tennesee and another of the seized steamers went down river to bring up troops. The flag officer landed two hundred marines and took possession of the public buildings on shore and hoisted our flag over the new Custom House, The state flag of Louisiana was hauled down from the City Hall and sent north by the Cayuga." G. H. P. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 369 Gen. Butler landed a portion of his troops about 5 P. M., and took permanent possession of the city, and issued his proclama- tion in which he says : "all ensigns, flags, or devices tending to up- hold any authority whatever, save the flags of the United States, and those of foreign consulates, must not be exhibited, but sup- pressed. The American ensigns, the emblem of the United States, must be treated with the utmost deference and respect by all persons, under pain of severe punishment." After the occupation of the city by the United States troops, Mumford still appeared in the streets bold, reckless and defiant, one of the heroes of the populace. He was seen even in front of the St. Charles Hotel, General Butler's head quarters, relating his exploits to a circle of admirers, boasting of it, and daring the union authorities to molest him. He did this once too often. He was arrested and tried by a military commission, who condemned him to death. General Butler approved the sentence and issued the following order for his execution. Special Order, No. IO. " NEW ORLEANS, June 5, 1862. " William B. Mumford, a citizen of New Orleans, having been convicted before a military commission, of treason, and an overt act thereof in tearing down the United States flag from a public building of the United States, for the purpose of inciting other evil minded persons to further resistance to the laws and arms of the United States, after said flag was placed there by Commodore [flag officer] Farragut of the United States navy. " It is ordered that he be executed according to the sentence of the said military commission, on Saturday, June yth inst, be- tween the hours of 8 A. M., and 12 M., under the direction of the provost marshal of the district of New Orleans ; and for so doing, this shall be his sufficient warrant." During his trial and after his conviction, Mumford showed neither fear nor contrition ; and evidently expected a commuta- tion of his sentence, not believing that General Butler would dare execute it. His friends, the thieves and gamblers of the city, openly defied the general, resolved in council, not to peti- tion for his pardon, and bound themselves to assassinate General 47 370 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE Butler if Mumford were hanged. Between Mumford's con- demnation and the time set for his execution General Butler reprieved and sent to Ship island six confederate soldiers who had been condemned to be shot for violating their paroles, but he could not be made to consider that Mumford deserved the same clemency, and when the day set apart for his execution arrived he was hanged. Mumford met his doom with compo- sure. He said that " the offense for which he was condemned was committed under excitement, and that he did not consider he was suffering justly. He conjured all who heard him to act justly to all men ; to rear their children properly : and when they met death they would meet it firmly. He was prepared to die ; and as he had never wronged any one he hoped to receive mercy." An immense concourse attended his execution but there was no disturbance. The name of Mumford, if we may believe the confederate newspapers, was immediately added to their roll of martyrs to the cause of liberty. The fugitive governor of Louisiana from some safe retreat up the river issued a proclamation about this time in which he said : " The noble heroism of the patriot, Mumford, has placed his name high on our list of martyred sons. When the federal navy reached New Orleans, a squad of marines was sent on shore, who hoisted their flag on the Mint. The city was not occupied by the United States troops, nor had they reached there. The place was not in their possession. Wil- liam B. Mumford pulled down the detested symbol, with his own hand, and for this was condemned to be hung by General Butler after his arrival. Brought in full view of the scaffold, his murderers hoped to appall his heroic soul, by the exhibition of the implements of ignominious death. With the evidence of their determination to consummate their brutal purpose be- fore his eyes, they offered him life on the condition that he would abjure his country, and swear allegiance to her foe. He spurned the offer. Scorning to stain his soul with such foul dishonor, he met his fate courageously, and has transmitted to his countrymen a fresh example of what one will do and dare when under the inspiration of fervid patriotism. I shall not forget the outrage of his murder, nor shall it pass unatoned." x 1 Parton's General Butler in New Orleans. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 371 June 13, 1862. A United States flag was raised at the village of Gretna, La., opposite New Orleans, amid the rejoicings of a large number of spectators, and patriotic resolutions were passed. At Richmond, Va., "on the morning of the i8th of April, 1 86 1, tumultuous crowds assembled at the Capitol, in that city, in the square in front of Governor Letcher's house, and amid shouts of execration and defiance, demanded the removal of the United States banner, and that the flag of the confederacy should be forthwith hoisted in its place. One fellow in this unruly mob, too impatient to wait for a formal compliance with this demand, rushed up the steps of the Capitol, and climbing to the roof, attempted to mount the flagstaff that he might tear down the flag of our union, encouraged and cheered in his efforts, by the tumultuous crowd below. He had nearly reached the top when he slipped, and falling on the roof, was severely hurt. This was a bad omen. Shortly afterward a detachment of soldiers was ordered to the spot to keep the crowd in order. In the afternoon, however, the mob increased to such an extent that the small knot of respectable citizens, who resolutely aided the soldiers in their efforts to keep order, were driven back ; the Capitol taken by storm, the flag of the union torn down, and that of the confederacy hoisted." " I could not but feel moved," said Col. Estevan, u at this out- rageous act of the populace, in thus ignominiously hauling down the flag of the republic under which I had found a refuge and a home, especially when I saw how deeply affected were many of the by standers of both sexes, loyal adherents of the union, on witnessing the occurrence." 1 May 10, 1 86 1, was observed as a fast 'day at Wheeling, Va. Patriotic sermons were delivered in nine out of the twelve churches. The Methodist pulpit was decorated with the stars and stripes. Rev. Mr. Smith delivered an eloquent address. He said if there was any secessionist in his congregation he wanted him to leave. Other ministers prayed that the rebels might be subdued and wiped from the face of the earth. 2 Sept. 6, 1 86 1. Gen. Grant gave permission to several union officers to hoist a union flag, on the top of the St, Francis Hotel 1 Col. Estevan's War Pictures from the South, pp., 34, 35. 3 New York Herald. 372 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE at Paducah, Kentucky. The landlord objected, saying that it would bring him trouble, and he did not want its protection. He was told to keep qaiet, that the flag must wave there in place of the secession flag he had allowed to float over it before our troops came, and that if he or other rebels interfered with the flag, or pulled it down, they would be led out and shot down. This assurance, from Brig. Gen. Paine, quieted his nerves and the flag floated, defying the rebels despite many re- marks by them that " the damned rag must come down." 1 Nov. 25, 1 86 1. Woolfolk, a secessionist in Paducah, Ken tucky, hung out of his window a secession flag as some United States troops were passing, and hurraed for JefF. Davis. He had done the same thing previously. General Wallace sent his aide de camp with a squad of men to take it in. Woolfolk re- fused to obey the order, whereupon the flag was forcibly hauled down and the stars and stripes hoisted in its stead. July 23, 1 86 1. The ladies of Martinsburg, Va., presented the 2d Wisconsin regiment a beautiful national ensign. The ladies said in presenting it : " We welcome you into our midst bearing the flag of our glorious country, trusting in God ; this flag has protected the oppressed of all lands, who have sought its shelter, and so long as this flag shall wave the oppressed shall be free." Coming as it did from a state which was de- clared out of the union by its constituted authorities, the regi- ment received the donation with peculiar pleasure. 2 Nov. 8, 1 86 1. After the battle of Belmont a wounded man, with both legs nearly shot off, was found in the woods singing the Star Spangled Banner ; but for this circumstance the sur- geons say they would not have discovered him. 3 May 22, 1863, At the assault on Vicksburg, the storming party looked in vain for the support which had been promised it. The brigade which had been ordered to follow it, hesitated and all but one of the one hundred and fifty composing the storming party got discouraged and sought the shelter of a deep ravine. That one hero, William Wagden, a private of Co. B., 8th Missouri, the color bearer of the storming party, refused to retrace a single step. When his comrades left him 1 St. Louis Democrat. 3 From a newspaper account of the battle. 2 Bait. American , July 2,3. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 373 he dug a hole in the ground with his bayonet, planted his flag staff in it, within twenty yards of the enemy's rifle pits, and sat down by the side of his banner, where he remained all day. 1 At the fight at Prairie Grove (1862-63), the color sergeant of the iQth Iowa regt., on the retreat was killed. As he fell Lieut. Wm. S. Brooks, already wounded, received the colors. The rebel colonel shouted: "God d n them, take their colors." This enraged Brooks and he hallooed back, "You can't do it ! " The rebels did not dare to close, but let go a volley which left nine holes in the flag and eighteen in the lieutenant's clothes. Four bullets passed through the cufF of his shirt sleeve, but they could not wound the hand that held the dear old flag. When Abraham Lincoln issued his proclamation January i, 1863, declaring the slaves in certain states and parts of states, in rebellion, to be henceforth and forever free, the day was celebrated in Norfolk, Va., by the entire negro population. They marched through the town in procession, numbering over four thousand persons, headed by a band of music, carrying the union flag and cheering for the downfall of slavery. About Christmas time, 1862, and just previous to the defeat by Rosencrantz, of the confederates at the battle of Murfrees- borough, that city was the scene of much gayety. The presi- dent of the confederacy, JefF. Davis, had come from Richmond to counsel, perhaps to invigorate Bragg. There were wedding festivities at which the bishop general, Polk, officiated, and giddy confederates danced on floors carpeted with the American flag. In the dreadful battle, closing on the 3d of Jan., 1863, which followed, the confederates lost 14,700 men. The losses were about one fourth of each army, but the final victory was on the side of our flag. 2 Amid the horrors of the Libby prison, the loyal soldiers, there confined in filth, negligence and beggary, wretched, poor and almost forgotten, determined to have a celebration of their country's independence among themselves. But as they looked around upon the necessities of their condition they found them- selves without a flag; and a celebration of their country's inde- Report of the Assault. * Draper's History of the Civil War, vol. 2, p 366. 374 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE pendence without a flag seemed impossible. After a while one man looked upon himself and said, "I have a red shirt;" and another man said, " I have a blue blouse :" another man, " I have a white shirt;" and no sooner was it said than they stripped them- selves and gave their red, white and blue shirts to be torn up into strips and pinned together to extemporize their country's flag. 1 Parson Brownlow kept our flag flying over his house, at Knoxville, Tennessee, and was the last in the state to take it down. Two armed rebels went at six o'clock in the morning to haul it down and were met on the piazza by his daughter, who demanded their business. "To take down that damned stars and stripes," was their rough reply. The young lady instantly drew a revolver and said : u Go on, I am good for one, and I think for both of you." " By the looks of this girl's eye she will shoot," said one of the rebs ; " we had better go and get more men." " Go and get nine," said Miss Brownlow, "and come and take it if you dare." They went, and soon returned with a company of ninety armed men ; but on discovering that the house was filled with gallant men armed to the teeth, who had rather die than see their country's flag dishonored, the rebels thought it prudent to withdraw without accomplishing their object. 2 May 22, 1 86 1. While secession banners were waving at Nashville, Tennessee, from every other building both public and private, a Mrs. McEwin, placed the national flag on her house and threatened to shoot whoever attempted to pull it down. 3 An Indiana regiment was attacked by a whole brigade in one of the battles in Mississippi ; unable to stand such great odds, it was compelled to fall back some thirty or forty yards, leaving their flag in the hands of the enemy. Suddenly a tall Irishman, private in the color company, rushed from the ranks across the vacant ground, attacked the squad of rebels who had possession of the flag, and with his clubbed musket felled several to the ground, snatched the flag from them, and returned safely back to his regiment. His captain made the daring fellow a sergeant on the spot. " Say no more about it captain," said the hero, " I dropped 1 Rev. Doctor Tyng's Address. 2 Chicago Journal. ^Louisville Journal, The flag is now in the flag museum of the war department. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 375 my whiskey flask among the rebels, and fetched that back, and I thought I might just as well bring the flag along too !" A few days after the fearful scene of butchery at Fort Pillow (April 14, 1864), it was relieved by the play of nobler sentiments and by the presence and heroic words of a brave, though heart broken woman. At Fort Pickering a regiment of United States artillery is drawn up in perfect order ; every face sober j a high and firm resolve is burning in many a dark eye. Six paces in front of the line are standing fourteen hardy looking, brave hearted men. They have no commander. What wreck of war is this ? What waif floating on the stormy ocean of civil strife. A lady clad in the deepest mourning, steps in front of these fourteen survivors. Many a face shows by the quivering lip and the moistening eye, how the sight of that bereaved woman affects them. She is the widow of Major Booth, and these fourteen are all that are alive of the batallion he commanded at Fort Pillow. -In her hand she bears a regi- mental flag, torn with balls, stained with smoke, and clotted with human blood. Amid a silence, broken only by the hoarse roar of the river chafing against the banks below, she com- mences to address them in a voice low and sorrow broken, but whose slightest cadence reaches their hearts. " Boys ! " she says, " I have just come from a visit to the hospital at Mound city. There I saw your comrades wounded at the bloody struggle at Fort Pillow. There I found this flag, you recognize it. One of your comrades saved it from the in- sulting touch of traitors at Fort Pillow. I have given to my country all I had to give my husband. Such a gift ! Yet I have freely given him for freedom and my country. Next my husband's cold remains, the dearest object left me in the world is this flag, the flag that once waved in proud defiance over the works of Fort Pillow. Soldiers, this flag I give you, knowing that you will ever remember the last words of my noble hus- band ' Never surrender the flag to traitors/ ' Colonel Jackson received from her hand the war-worn and blood-stained flag. He called upon the regiment to receive it as such a gift ought to be received. Then he and the whole line fell upon their knees, and solemnly appealing to the God of 376 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE battles, each one swore to avenge their brave and fallen com- rades, and never, " never to surrender the flag to traitors." The memory of the scene can never pass from before the eyes of those who witnessed it. It was no holiday presentation, no crowning of a May-queen. There stood the widow of their former commander, fresh from the grave of her hero-hus- band. Above them waved the old flag, enriched by a thousand memories, and now consecrated by the baptism of blood, while beside the spot where they stood rolled the grand river, whose waters a few days before had been reddened with the blood of their comrades. 1 A School Girl tried by Court Martial for insulting the Star Spangled Banner. A court martial, of which Major Collin Ford, xooth United States colored infantry, was president, was convened at Nashville, Tennessee, before which was arraigned and tried Miss Emma Latimer on a charge of disloyalty, the specification being that, on the 4th of July, 1865, she did tear down and trample under her feet, with intent to express contempt for the same, the American flag which had been put up in honor of the anni- versary of the national independence of the United States, at the house of A. R. Latimer in Edgefield, Tenn., and did threaten if it was put up a second time she would tear it down and burn it up. She was found guilty of the charges and specifications, and sentenced to be confined in a military prison for ninety days, and to pay a fine of three hundred dollars , and in default of payment to be further imprisoned until the whole fine was satisfied at the rate of two dollars a day for each day's imprison- ment. Brevet Major Gen. Johnson approved the finding and sentence, Sept. 24, 1865, but in consideration of the peculiar circumstances of the case he remitted the entire sentence, with this endorsement : " It will be well for Miss Latimer to remember that it will not do to trifle with the sacred emblem of our nationality. That in spite of the opposition of all the school girls in the south, the banner of glory and beauty will still wave over the land of the free, and notwithstanding the united efforts of all the rebellious women in the country, will continue to float, until time shall cease to be, upon every breeze, the pride and admiration of all 1 Frank Moore's Women of the War y pages, 310-11. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 377 thinking persons. She will be released from confinement and restored to her parents, with attention to Solomon's sage remark : ' he that spareth the rod spoileth the child.' "The conduct of the prosecuting witnesses deserves a passing remark. The testimony shows that they had resolved on changing their place of abode previous to July 4th, but agreed to remain at the house of Mr. Latimer until after that date, in order to ensnare his little daughter, and get her into trouble. Their first battle for the flag was with a thoughtless school girl ! The entire transaction looks like the work of children temporarily removed from parental care." 1 How our Flag was Restored to the Soil of South Carolina at Port Royal. Commander John Rodgers, in his letters relating the oc- currence at Hilton Head, Nov., 1 86 1, says : " Commodore Dupont had kindly made me his aid. I stood by him and did little things which I suppose gained me credit, so when the boat was sent in, to ask whether they had surrendered, I was sent. I carried the stars and stripes ; I found the ramparts utterly deserted and I planted the American flag with my own hands, first to take possession in the majesty of the United States of the rebel soil of South Carolina." A correspondent of The New York W^orld wrote: "the cheers that uprose on the hoisting of the flag on Fort Walker were deafening ; the stentorian ringing of human voices would have drowned the roar of artillery. The cheer was taken up man by man, ship by ship, regiment by regiment. Such a spontaneous outburst of soldierly enthusiasm never greeted the ears of Napo- leon, amid the victories of Marengo, Austerlitz or the pyramids of the Me." The journal of the U. S. S. Vanderbilt says it was greeted with deafening cheers, and all the bands as of one accord struck up our national airs. The correspondent of The New York Times wrote : " Another and a larger star-spangled banner was afterwards displayed upon the flagstaff of a building a few rods to the left, where the rebel standard had waved during the combat, and where it had just been taken down." The correspondent of the National Intelligencer reported : " A Published officially in the Army and Navy Journal, Oct.'y, 1865. 48 378 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE boat from the Wabash was seen making for the shore with a white flag at the bow and an American ensign at the stern. She soon touched the sandy beach, and in a moment after we thought we could discern our flag upon the ramparts. Our men could not help giving utterance to exclamations of hopeful joy ; but the less sanguine waited a few moments in eager suspense until suddenly, from the roof of an old mansion by the fort, a great flag, that could not be mistaken, displayed the stars and stripes in all their glory, in beautiful contrast with the greenwoods beyond. Loud and repeated cheers rang from vessel to vessel throughout the harbor." x The Story of Barbara Frietcbie. The daring act of displaying the stars and stripes as the rebel army passed through Frederick on the 6th of September, 1862, which this nonagenarian dame is reputed to have performed, forms one of the most charming episodes of the rebellion. Few Americans but have read Whit- tier's poem, which has immortalized her name and the story. In reply to my letter inquiring the origin of the poem, Mr. Whittier wrote me under date lt Amesbury, 6 mo. 16, 1872. " My original informant was Mrs. Southworth, the authoress, of Washington. Soorr after, Miss Dorothea Dix visited the city of Frederick and confirmed her statement. Within two years, a nephew of B. F. visited me, with full confirmation of the hero- ism of his relative and I have no doubt the main facts of the story are true." The story as told by Mr. Whittier has been doubted. One lady, over her own signature, claimed to have performed the same or a similar daring act, and a correspondent of the Army and Navy Journal furnishes the following, as the true story of Barbara's deed. u The true story is based upon facts which by poetic fancy has been intensified into this poem. Old Barbara was both brave and patriotic. During the passage of the rebels through the town, she is said to have had a very small flag inside of one of her windows, which she refused to give up on the demand of 1 A letter from an officer on board the Pocahontas at Port Royal, says, " a shot from our 10 inch put a hole in their stars and bars, another took down the flagstaff j but the confederates ran another up pretty quickly, but it was a doomed piece of bunt- ing. The Forbes fired with her rifled gun, and the ball catching the flag wound it around and carried it off into[the woods." Rebellion Record, in, p. 114. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 379 an officer or soldier. One day, returning from a walk, she found her steps occupied by a large number of rebel soldiers, to whom, using her cane with some energy, the old dame cried out, " Clear out, you dirty, lousy scoundrels." When our troops entered Frederick, she was at the window waving a flag. A general, said to have been General Reno, raising his cap and reining in his horse asked : "How old is grandmother ?" Some one at the window mentioned her age (over ninety), when he cried : " Three cheers for the loyal old grandmother." They were lustily given and the column moved on. Mrs. Frietchie was a stout hearted, patriotic, Christian woman, and it was not her fault that she did not do all attributed to her. Her house is a quaint, but exceedingly attractive, old fashioned, steep roofed little structure, with curious rear buildings, imme- diately on the banks of Carroll's run, a little stream which flows through Frederick city. In the slope of the roof which looks towards the street, are two attic dormer windows, from one of which, Barbara displayed her flag. This, the true story of Barbara's achievement, was obtained from a gentleman who knew the old woman well, possessed her autograph and had every opportunity for knowing the truth." 1 In 1869, Mrs. Mary A. Quantrill wrote to the Washington Star claiming for herself the praise and honor which has been awarded to old grandmother Frietchie for displaying the stars and stripes to the rebel forces. We will allow her to tell her story in her own words. She says : " By the setting of the sun on the eve of Sept. 6, 1862, a stranger might have paused in the streets of Frederick, and asked, 'what change has come over the spirit ' of this city ? Not a flag was to be seen ; not a citizen upon its streets ; the pulse of business (never very strong), had almost ceased to beat ; and as friend met friend, they whispered with white lips of the approach of the enemy. It was true. General Robert Lee, at the head of the confederate army, was marching on Frederick, left in the main with its women and children (I speak of the loyal portion), to the mercy of the chiv- alrous enemy. General Stonewall Jackson entered the city on Saturday, the 6th of September, and General Longstreet, on the following Monday, came in with the remaining forces. Army and Navy Journal, for July 20, 1867. 380 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE " The morning of the loth the scene presented was truly war- like. Day dawned upon marching columns of infantry, cavalry and artillery, wending their way to South mountain and An- tietam. Onward they pressed, presenting little variety, except- ing that national flags were tied to the horses' tails, and trailed through the streets, as a warning to unionists of what might occur thereafter. Seated at my door, I had been a silent observer of the morning's pageant. It may be well to state here, although I had not the acquaintance of a solitary confederate soldier, save those who had been my neighbors, the house where the United States flag floated under more friendly auspices, was known to many. Music was swelling, the stars and bars were waving, and as I gazed upon brave men enduring every degree of danger and suffering for what they called their rights, my reverie was inter- rupted by the sudden halt of a subordinate officer before my door, who shouted at the top of his voice, U G d the stars and stripes to the dust, with all who advocate them !" The hero was borne off by the dense throng, but the insult admitted of no second thought. The flag of my country, sacred to the memory of my grandsires, and to the best men of revolutionary history, damned to the dust ? It was too much. My little daugh- ter, who had been enjoying her flaglet secretly, at this moment came to the door, and, taking it from her hand, I held it firmly in my own, but not a word was spoken. Soon a bright spot in this motley mass was visible. A splendid carriage, accompanied by elegantly mounted officers, evidently the flower of the army, was approaching. As they came near the house they caught the glimpse of the tiny flag, and exclaimed : ' See, see ! the flag, the stars and stripes ! 'and, with true chivalry, hats were removed and courtesies were offered the bearer, but not to her standard. They had advanced some paces when a halt was ordered, and soon a lady XT- then Miss Martha Sinn, since Mrs. Jas. Arnold of Frederick, standing near other ladies of the neighborhood, admonished me to fly with my colors. I did not, however, move, until an officer from the company rode up, and the following remarks were exchanged : Officer Madam, give me your flag. Answer No, sir, you can't have it. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 881 Officer Give me your flag to present to General Lee. Answer General Lee cannot have my flag. Officer Why ? Answer I think it worthy of a better cause. Officer Your flag has been dishonored. Answer Only by the cause you have espoused. Officer (regarding me sternly) Come down south, and we will show you whole negro brigades equipped for the service of the United States. Answer I am informed on that subject. " Here a brother officer warned him of the value of time, and urged a return, which was accordingly made. The confederate soldier said, the officer who asked for the flag was General Hill. " I remained resting the staff of my flaglet on the railing of the porch, when a soldier, who had heard the remarks, stepped behind me, and with his bayonet cut off my staff close to my hand. The report resembled that of a pistol, and turning about I saw him tear my flag into pieces, and stamp them in the dust. I pronounced this the act of a coward. Among the young la- dies present, was Miss Mary Hopwood, daughter of a well known union citizen of Frederick. Seeing my flag cut down, she drew a concealed flaglet from her sleeve and supplied its place. In another instant the second flag was cut down by the same man. As soon as the information was conveyed to the officers, one man, more advanced in years than either of those already referred to, came back to the spot and reproved in sharp language the man who cut down my flags. Mrs. Barbara Frietchie J was held in high esteem by the people of Frederick city, and the ladies generally are second to none for their devotion to the cause of our country. " MARY A. QUANTRILL. " Washington city, (D. C.), February 9, 1869." 1 Lossing in his Civil War (vol. n, page 466), has a portrait of Barabara Frietchie and a representation of her house which he drew in 1866, and where, he says, she lived until her death which occurred June, 1864. It was close to a bridge which spans the stream that crosses through Frederick. Lossing's version of the story is that when Stonewall Jackson marched through the town, his troops passed over that bridge. " He had been informed that many national flags were flying in that city and he gave orders for them all to be hauled down. Patriotic Barbara's was displayed from one of the dormer windows of her house. Her flag was pulled down." ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE Mr. Whittier, in reply to Mrs. Quantrill, wrote the editor of the Washington Star. " To the Editor of the Star I have received a copy of thy paper, containing a letter from a lady who claims to have been the heroine of the flag at Frederick. I have never heard of her before, and, of course, know nothing of her veracity or loyalty. I must say, however, in justice to myself, that I have full con- fidence in the truth of the original statement furnished me by a distinguished literary lady of Washington [Mrs. Southworth], as respects Barbara Frietchie a statement soon after confirmed by Dorothea Dix, who visited Frederick, and made herself ac- quainted with many interesting particulars of the life and char- acter of that remarkable woman. " Very truly, thy friend, " JOHN G. WHITTIER. " Amesbury, igth 2d mo., 1869." The editor remarks : " Mr. Whittier gives good reason for his faith in Barbara Frietchie, but as there is no doubt, from the testimony of at least four witnesses, that Mrs. Quantrill's claim is well founded, there seems to be considerable mystification in the matter." Probably the true solution is that both these brave union women displayed their patriotism and their courage in the same way on the same occasion. The true story as told by the correspondent of the Army and Navy 'Journal seems to furnish a clew toward solving the question. Barbara raised her flag and was honored for it by a union general as our troops passed through Fredrick, and Mrs. Quantrill displayed her flaglet, as she calls it, when the rebels marched through. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 383 SOUTHERN FLAGS IN THE GREAT REBELLION. 1860-1865. As in the non-seceding states at the breaking out of the re- bellion there was a universal and patriotic display of union banners, so each of the seceding states made haste to desecrate and insult the stars and stripes, and display banners with strange devices as emblems of their state soveregnity. After a little while, in defiance of the very principles of seces- sion, these state flags were, as in the loyal north, made subordi- nate to a general union flag established by the rebellion confederacy. On the adjourning of the South Carolina legislature which had provided for a convention, on the I3th of November 1860, only a few days after the election of Lincoln was ascertained, the members were honored in the evening with a torch light procession in the streets of Columbia. The old banner of the union was taken down from the State House and the Palmetto flag unfurled in 'its place; and it was boastfully declared that the old ensign, the detested rag of the union should never again float in the free air of South Carolina. Four days later, the iyth of November, was a gala day in Charleston. A pine liberty pole ninety feet in height was erected and a Palmetto flag was unfurled from its top. The flag was white with a green palmetto tree in the middle, and bore the motto of South Carolina; ANIMIS OPIBUSQUE PARATI : that is "prepared in mind and resources ready to give life and pro- perty. " The raising of this flag was greeted with the roar of cannon a hundred times repeated, and the Marseillaise Hymn by a band ; then followed the Miserere, from II Trovatore, played as a re- quiem for the departed union. Full twenty thousand people are said to have participated in this inauguration of revolution, and the Rev. C. P. Gadsden invoked the blessing of God upon their acts. These ceremonies were followed by speeches (some from northern men temporarily in Charleston, in which the peo- ple were addressed as citizens of the southern republic. Proces- 384 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE sions filled the streets, bearing from square to square many ban- ners with significant inscriptions, such as,- "South Carolina goes it alone ;" " God, liberty and the state ;" " South Carolina wants no stripes;" "Stand to your arms Palmetto boys;" "Huzza for the southern confederacy ;" " Now or never strike for independence ;" "Goodbye Yankee Doodle;" "Death to all abolitionists 5" "Let us bury the union's dead carcass ;" etc. No union flag was to be seen upon any staff in the harbor, for vigilance committees, assuming police powers, had already been formed to prevent any such lingering display of loyalty. x Back of the president's chair, of the South Carolina conven- tion which adopted the ordinances of secession, was a banner composed of cotton cloth, with devices painted by a Charleston artist named Alexander. The base of the design was a mass of broken and disordered blocks of stone, on each of which were the name and arms of the free states. Rising from this mass were two columns of perfect and symmetrical blocks of stone, connected by an arch of the same material, on each of which, fifteen in number, were the name and coat of arms of a slave state. South Carolina, foremost in the treason, forms the key- stone of the arch, on which stood Powers's statue of Calhoun, leaning upon the trunk of a palmetto tree and displaying to spectators a scroll inscribed, " Truth^ Justice and the Constitution" On one side of Calhoun, was a figure of Faith, and on the other side one of Hope. Beyond these, on each side, was the figure of an Indian armed with a rifle. In the space between the col- umns, and under the arch, was the device of the seal and flag of South Carolina, namely a palmetto tree with a rattlesnake coiled around its trunk, and at its base a park of cannon and emblems of the state's commerce. On a scroll, fluttering from the trunk of the tree, were the words : Southern Republic. Over the whole design, on the segment of a circle, were fifteen stars ; the number of the slave states and underneath all, " Built from the Ruins." The banner was intended as a menace and a prophecy. In 1 865, this banner was in the possession of John S. H. Fogg, M.D., of Boston, a drawing of it is given in Lossing's Civil War* 1 Lossing's Civil War. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 385 The fatal ordinance of secession having passed the South Caro- lina convention December 19, 1860, was welcomed in the streets by the firing of cannon, the ringing of bells, and other demon- strations of joy. The state had become a free and independent nation. A procession of gentlemen repaired to St. Philip's church yard, and encircling the tomb of Calhoun, made solemn obeisance before it, vowing to devote their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor, to Carolinian independence. The side- walks were crowded with ladies wearing secession bonnets made of black and white Georgia cotton, decorated with ornaments of palmetto trees and lone stars. In the frenzy of their enthu- siastic, misdirected patriotism, they surpassed the men. At the signing the ordinance, a ceremony declared to be profoundly grand and impressive, a venerable clergyman whose hair was white as snow implored the favoring auspices of heaven. 1 The governor, Mr. Pickens, was authorized to receive am- bassadors, consuls, etc., from abroad ; to appoint similar offi- cers to represent South Carolina in foreign countries, and to organize a cabinet. A banner of red silk was adopted. It bore a blue cross, on which were set fifteen stars for the fifteen slaveholding states : one of them, central and larger than the rest, represented South Carolina. On a red field, was a palmetto and crescent. 2 Polkas and the Marsellaise hymn were played in the streets. The Charleston newspapers published intelligence from other parts of the United States under the title of Foreign News. Several of our national airs were struck from the music books in South Carolina, and replaced by revolutionary melodies of France, with the necessary variations to suit the change of place, etc. 3 On the 2 ist of Dec., 1860, there was a general demon- stration of joy at New Orleans over the secession of South Carolina. One hundred guns were fired and the Pelican flag unfurled. The southern Marsellaise was sung, as the flag 4 was raised, amid reiterated and prolonged cheers for South Carolina and Louisiana. * Draper, vol. I, p. 515. 3 Newspaper statement. 2 Lossing's Civil War. * Nat. Intelligencer, Dec. 25th. 49 386 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE A month later, on the 2ist of January, the legislature of Louis- iana convened at Baton Rouge, when a flag with fifteen stars, representing the number of the slave states, was raised over the dome of the Capitol. The convention met at the same place two days later (23d), and on the 26th adopted the ordinance of seces- sion, by a vote of 113 ayes to 17 noes. When the result was made known President Mouton arose, with great solemnity of man- ner and said : " in virtue of the vote just announced, I now de- clare the connection between the state of Louisiana and the federal union dissolved, and that she is a free, sovereign and in- dependent power." Then Governor Moore entered the hall with a military officer bearing a Pelican flag. This was placed in the hands of President Mouton, while the spectators and delegates, swayed with excitement, cheered vehemently. When all became quiet, a solemn prayer was offered and the flag was blessed according to the rites of the Roman Catholic church by Father Hubert. 1 At a later day a committee of the convention having in charge the subject of a state flag did not approve of the pelican as the symbol of Louisiana, and reported the pelican as a bird " in form unsightly, in habits filthy, in nature cowardly." And also that they learned to their amazement from Audubon : " that the story of the pelican feeding its young with its own blood is gammon. They therefore did not recommend this waterfowl as a fit subject for their flag, but rather one of loathing and contumely." Subsequently the convention adopted as the flag of Louisiana, a flag of thirteen stripes, four blue, six white and three red, com- mencing at the top with the colors as written. The union was red, with its sides equal to the width of seven stripes ; in its centre was a single, pale yellow, five pointed star. 2 This was the flag which was hoisted on the City Hall at New Orleans when Farragut appeared before that city April 25, 1862. [See plate ix.] Two days after the Pelican flag was raised at New Orleans, 1 Journal of the Convention. 2 General Beauregard's letter to G. H. P., Feb. 3, 1872.- The significance of the devices of this flag are not apparent, and in beauty it was far inferior to the old na- tional ensign. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 387 on the 22d of December, 1860, a secession flag pole one hun- dred feet high, rivaling the celebrated gallows of Haman, was erected at Petersburg, Virginia, amid the cheers of the people, and a Palmetto flag hoisted upon it. Some unknown union patriot however during the night sawed down the pole and carried off the flag. 1 A week later viz., Dec. 28th, the Palmetto flag was raised over the Custom House and Post Office at Charleston, S. C., and upon Forts Moultrie and Pinckney, and on the ist of Jan., 1861, the Palmetto guard held possession of the United States Arsenal under the Palmetto flag. Capt. Me Gowan, re- porting the firing upon his vessel, the Star of the West, on the 9th of January, by a masked battery on Morris' island, believed to be the first instance in the history of our flag having been so insulted by our own people, mentions that a red Palmetto flag was flying over the battery when it opened its fire. These Pal- metto flags were of various shape, color and material. There is now in the museum of the naval library and institute at the Boston navy yard, a large white flag, made of bunting, which seems to have seen some service. In the centre of the field there is a blue palmetto tree, among the leaves of which, are two white crescents or half moons. Surrounding this device is a blue ring, three or four inches in width, on which is wrought in white silk, a star and the legend " South Carolina." The his- tory of this flag is not known (see plate ix). In a conspicuous place in the flag museum of the war depart- ment at Washington, is displayed what is said to have been the first flag that waved over Charleston in 1861, and in fact the first secession flag raised in the confederacy. It is a perfect caricature. The material is of dull white bunting, with a very lame representation of a palmetto tree sewed in the centre. It has eight branches but no leaves, and looks more" like a huge spider than any thing under the sun. It is surrounded by eleven red stars and a red moon just rising. It was used at Forts Sum- ter and Moultrie and in the fortifications around Charleston. On the passage of the Alabama ordinance of secession, Dec., 1860, an immense mass meeting was held in front of the Capitol at Montgomery, and a secession flag (the devices of which are 1 N. T. Daily News, Dec. 24. 388 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE not given), presented by the women of Montgomery, was raised on the State House; salutes were fired and in the evening the town illuminated. At Mobile, on the reception of the news, an immense crowd assembled at the secession pole, at the foot of Government street, to witness the spreading of the southern flag and it was run up amid the shouts of the multitude and the thunder of cannon. The crowd then repaired in procession to the United States Custom House with a band of music playing the southern Marseillaise and a lone star flag was waved amid enthusiastic shouts. In the fireworks and illuminations of the ensuing evening the southern cross, was a favored emblematic pattern, and gleaming in lines of fire competed with the oft repeated Lone Star. 1 In the Virginia convention an ordinance was passed that the flag of the commonwealth of Virginia should hereafter be bunt- ing " which shall be a deep blue field with a circle of white in the centre, upon which shall be painted or embroidered, to show both sides alike, the coat of arms of the state as described by the convention of 1776, for one side of the seal of the state viz.: " Virtus, the genius of the commonwealth dressed like an amazon, resting upon a spear with one hand, and holding a sword in the other, and treading on Tyranny represented by a man prostrate, a crown fallen from his head, a broken chain in his left hand, and a scourge in his right. In the exergue, the word VIRGINIA over the head of Virtus, and underneath the words Sic Semper Tyrannis." The flag which was thrown to the breeze from the flagstaff* of the state Capitol of Georgia, when an artillery salute an- nounced that the ordinance of secession was adopted, bore the device of the coat of arms of the state, viz, the arch of the con- stitution, supported by the three pillars of WISDOM, JUSTICE and MODERATION, on a white field. The flags 'used by the state troops during the war bore the same device, with the names of the regiments on the reverse. These were the state 1 The constellation of the southern cross, cannot be seen anywhere within the boundaries of the southern states. An Alabama state flag originally of white, having on one side the state arms and motto, and on the other, surmounted by seven stars linked together, a scroll inscribed : " OUR HOMES, OUR RIGHTS, WE ENTRUST TO YOUR KEEPING BRAVE SONS OF ALABAMA," is preserved in the war museum at Washington FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 389 flags before as well as during the war. No state secession flag was adopted by Georgia. 1 In the flag museum at Washington there is a stars and bars flag, with the Georgia coat of arms in the centre of the union surrounded by silver stars, and beneath a scroll inscribed on one side, " Presented by the Ladies of Henry," on the other, "Lackey Rangers. Victory or Death." The flag adopted by the state convention of North Carolina, May 26, 1 86 1, consisted of a perpendicular red bar next the staff, in width one-third the length of the flag, the flag being di- vided equally in two horizontal bars, white and blue, the white in chief. The centre of the red bar was charged with a large, white, five pointed star, and above and beneath it, in white let- ters, the inscription, MAY 20, 1775, MAY 20, 1861. The dates of the Mechlenburg declaration of independence and of the state ordinance of secession. A flag of this description captured from the Thirty-fifth North Carolina Volunteers, is preserved in the Washington museum. After the naval battle at Hatteras inlet, July 30, 1861, Lieutenant Bankhead, of the Susquehanna, visited the forts and brought off two flags as trophies. One was a color standard made of very heavy twilled silk, fringed with gold. The colors were red and white, the union blue having a gilt star on each side. One of the sides was inscribed " Presented by the ladies of Shiloh, Camden Co., to the North Carolina defenders." Over the star was May 20, 1775, underneath, May 20, 1861. The letters and star were gold gilt and beautifully executed. The other star flag bore the following inscription " Independent Greys, August I, 1859," tne un i n na< 3 nine stars. 2 Early in February, 1 86 1 , a convention of six seceding states viz., South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida, assembled at Montgomery, Alabama. These states were represented by forty-two delegates. Jefferson Davis of Missis- sippi was elected president and Alexander H. Stephens of Georgia vice president of these confederated states of America for the cur- rent year. While the committee had the matters of a permanent govern- 1 Manuscript letter of Wm. T. Thompson, editor of the Savannah Daily Morning News. 2 Barren's Cruise of the United States Steamer Susquchannah, 1860-63. 390 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE ment under consideration, the convention discussed the import- ant subject of a national flag. Various devices were presented. The designers of these, in many instances, were patriotic ladies, who mistook the delusive calm of the moment for the token of permanent peace. Not without emotion do we remark that many of these designs were modifications of the grand old flag that had streamed forth triumphantly through the smoke of many a battle. On the gth of February, Mr. Memminger presented to the convention a flag sent by some of the young ladies of Charleston, South Carolina, as a model flag for the confederate states ; the device was composed of a blue cross on a red field, with six white, five pointed stars or mullets blazoned on the cross. At the same time he presented another, from a gentleman, which had fif- teen stars within a cross, 1 but the cross upon a different ground. On presenting these flags Mr. Memminger said : " Now, Mr. President, the idea of union, no doubt, was sug- gested to the imagination of the young ladies by the beauteous constellation of the southern cross, which the great Creator has placed in the southern heavens, by way of compensation for the glorious constellation at the north pole. The imagination of the young ladies was, no doubt, inspired by the genius of Dante and the scientific skill of Humboldt. But sir, I have no doubt that there was another idea associated with it in the minds of the young ladies, a religious one, and although we have not seen in the heavens the ' In hoc signo vincesj written upon the Labur- num of Constantine, yet the same sign has been manifested to us upon the tablets of the earth ; for we all know that it has been by the aid of revealed religion that we have achieved over fanaticism the victory which we this day witness ; and it is becoming, on this occasion, that the debt of the south to the cross should be thus recognized. I have also, Mr. President, a com- 1 About this time The Neiu Tork Herald, on the authority of a correspondent, pub- lished a rude representation of what purported to be the flag of the southern confede- racy, and which was probably the flag above referred to, and said to have been adopted by South Carolina one week after that state adopted the secession ordinance. This flag (See Plate ix), was a red flag charged with a blue latin cross. The cross bla- zoned with fifteen stars, the centre star for South Carolina being larger than the rest 5 a white palmetto tree, and white crescent in the upper canton of the flag next the staff". Lossing in his Civil War, says this banner, for a new empire, was adopted on the very day the ordinance of secession passed the South Carolina convention. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 391 mission from a gentleman of taste and skill in the city of Charles- ton, who offers another model, which embraces the same idea of a cross, but upon a different ground. The gentleman who offers this model appears to be more hopeful than the young ladies. They offer one with seven stars, six for the states already repre- sented in this congress, and the seventh for Texas, whose de- puties we hope will soon be on their way to join us. He offers a flag which embraces the whole fifteen states. God grant that his hope may soon be realized, and that we may soon welcome their stars to the glorious constellation of southern confederacy." These remarks were highly applauded, and a committee, con- sisting of one delegate from each state, was appointed to report upon a device for a national flag and seal. Mr. Brooke, of Mississippi, offered a resolution to instruct the committee to re- port a design for a flag as similar as possible to that of the United States, making only such changes as should give them distinction. In his speech he talked with the fervor of a patriot of the associations which clustered around the old ensign, as- sociations which could never be effaced. " Sir," he said, " let us preserve it as far as we can, let us continue to hallow it in our memory, and still pray that : " Long may it wave, O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave," His eulogy of the old flag, which the leading traitors affected to despise, was so full of union sentiment that it was regarded as almost treasonable, and Brooke was severely rebuked. Wil- liam Porcher Miles, of South Carolina, the chairman of the committee, protested against the resolution and the utterance of the mover. He gloried more a thousand times in the Palmetto flag of his state. He had regarded, " from his youth, the stars and stripes as the emblem of oppression and tyranny." This bold conspirator was so warmly applauded, that Brooke, at the suggestion of a friend, withdrew his motion. W. W. Boyce, of South Carolina, who had been a member of the national congress for seven years, presented a model for a flag, which he had received with a letter, from a woman of his state (Mrs. C. Ladd, of Winnsboro), who described it as " tri-colored, with a red union, seven stars, and the crescent 392 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE moon." She offered her three boys to her country, and sug- gested Washington Republic as the name of the new nation. In presenting the flag and letter, Boyce said : " I will take the liberty of reading her letter to the congress. It is full of authentic fire. It is worthy of Rome in her best days, and might well have been read in the Roman senate on that disastrous day when the victorious banner of the great Carthaginian was visible from Mont Aventine. And I may add, Sir, that as long as our women are impelled by these sublime sentiments, and our mountains yield the metals out of which weapons are forged, the lustrous stars of our unyielding confederacy will never pale their glorious fires, though baffled oppression may threaten with its impotent sword, or, more dangerous still, seek to beguile with the siren song of conciliation." Chilton, Tombs, Stephens, and others, presented devices for flags. They were sent in almost daily from various parts of the cotton-growing states, a great many of them showing attach- ment to the old banner, yet accompanied by the most fervid ex- pression of sympathy with the southern cause." l At the conclusion of Mr. Memminger's remarks, on motion of Mr. Miles, of South Carolina, the subject of a flag for the con- federacy was referred to a committee of six members ; one from each state represented in the convention, viz., Messrs. Miles of South Carolina, Morton of Florida, Shorter of Alabama, Barton of Georgia, Sparrow of Louisiana, and Harris of Missis- sippi. Finally, on the 5th of March, Mr. Miles, of South Carolina, the chairman of the committee to whom the subject of a flag for the confederate states was referred, submitted the following elaborate report : 1 Two young women, Rebecca C. Ferguson and Mollie A. D. Sinclair, in the art department of the Tuscogee Female College, sent in seven designs. In their ac- companying letter they said, that " amidst all their efforts at originality, there ever danced before them visions of the star-gemmed flag, with its parti-colored stripes, that floated so proudly over the late United States. Let us snatch from the eagle of the cliff our idea of independence, and cull from the earth diamonds, and gems from the heavens, to deck the flag of the southern confederacy. With cotton for king, there are seven states bound by a chain of sisterly love that will strengthen by time, as onward, right onward, they move up the glorious path of southern independence." In the seven devices offered, the principal members were an eagle, stars, and a cotton-bale. These devices were presented with highly commendatory words by Mr. Chilton, of Alabama. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 393 " The committee appointed to select a proper flag for the Con- federate States of America beg leave to report that they have given this subject due consideration, and carefully inspected the designs submitted to them. The number of these has been immense but they all may be divided into two great classes. First y those which copy and preserve the principal features of the United States flag, with slight and unimportant modifications. Secondly, those which are very elaborate, complicated, or fantas- tical. The objection to the first class is that none of them at any considerable distance could readily be distinguished from the one which they imitate. Whatever attachment may be felt from association for the stars and stripes (an attachment which your committee may be permitted to say they do not all share), it is manifest that in inaugurating a new government, we cannot retain the flag of the government from which we have withdrawn, with any propriety or without encountering very obvious practical difficulties. There is no propriety in retaining the ensign of a government which, in the opinion of the states composing this confederacy, had become so oppresive and injurious to their interests as to require their separation from it. It is idle to talk of keeping the flag of the United States, when we have voluntarily seceded from them. It is superfluous to dwell upon the practical difficulties which would flow from the fact of two distinct and probably hostile governments both employing the same, or very similar flags. It would be a political and military solecism. It would lead to perpetual disputes. As to the glories of the old flag we must bear in mind that the battles of the revolution, about which our fondest and proudest memories cluster, were not fought beneath its folds ; and although in more recent times, in the war of 1812, and in the war with Mexico, the south did win her fair share of glory, and shed her full measure of blood under its guidance and in its defence, we think the impartial pages of history will preserve and commemo- rate the fact more imperishably than a mere piece of striped bunting. When the colonies achieved their independence of the mother country (which up to the last they fondly called her), they did not desire to retain the British flag or any thing at all similar to it. Yet under that flag they had fought in their 50 394 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE infancy for their very existence against more than one determined foe. Under it they had repelled and driven back the relentless savage and carried it farther and farther into the decreasing wild- erness as the standard of civilization and religion. Under it youthful Washington won his spurs, in the memorable and un- fortunate expedition of Braddock, and Americans helped to plant it on the plains of Abraham when the immortal Wolfe fell, covered with glory, in the arms of victory. But our forefathers, when they separated themselves from great Britain, a separation not on account of their hatred of the English constitution, or of English institutions, but in consequence of the tyrannical and unconstitutional rule of Lord North's administration; and because their destiny beckoned them on to independent expansion and achievement, cast no lingering, regretful looks behind. They were proud of their heritage in the glories and genius and language of old England, but they were influenced by the spirit of the north, of the great Hampden, Vestigia nulla retrorsum. They were determined to build up a new power among the na- tions of the world. They therefore did not attempt to keep the old flags. We think it good to imitate them in this com- paratively little matter as well as emulate them in greater and more important ones. The committee on examining the repre- sentations of the flags of all countries found that Liberia and the Sandwich islands [see plate III], had flags so similar to that of the United States that it seemed to them an additional, if not a conclusive, reason why we should not keep, copy or imitate it. They feel no inclination to borrow at second hand what had been pilfered and appropriated by a free negro community and a race of savages. It must be admitted, however, that some- thing was conceded by the committee to what seemed so strong and earnest a desire to retain at least a suggestion of the old stars and stripes. So much for the mass of models or designs more or less copied from, or assimilated to, the United States flag. With reference to the second class of designs, those of an elabo- rate and complicated character (but many of them showing con- siderable artistic skill and taste), the committee will merely remark that, however pretty they may be when made up by the cunning skill of a fair lady's fingers, in silk, satin and embroidery they are not appropriate as flags. A flag should be simple, readily FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 395 made, and above all, capable of being made up in bunting ; it should be different from the flag of any other country, place, or people ; it should be significant ; it should be readily distinguish- able at a distance ; the colors should be well contrasted and durable, and lastly, and not the least important point, it should be effective and handsome. " The committee humbly think that the flag which they submit combines these requisites. It is very easy to make. It is en- tirely different from any national flag. The three colors of which it is composed, red, white, and blue, are the true republican colors. In heraldry they are emblematic of the three great virtues, of valor, purity and truth. Naval men assure us that it can be recognized at a great distance. The colors contrast admirably and are lasting. In effect and appearance it must speak for itself. " Your committee therefore recommended that THE FLAG OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA shall consist of a red field, with a white space extending horizontally through the centre, and equal In width to one third the width of the flag. The red spaces above and below to be of the same width as the white. The union, blue, extending down through the white space, and stopping at the lower red space ; in the centre of the union a circle of white stars corresponding in number with the states of the confederacy. " If adopted, long may it wave over a brave, a free, and a virtu- ous people. May the career of the confederacy, whose duty it will then be to support and defend it, be such as to endear it to our children's children, as the flag of a loved, because a just and be- nign government, and the cherished symbol of its valor, purity and truth." 1 The report was adopted and on motion of Mr. Withers, of South Carolina, the whole report was entered upon the journal of the day previous ; thus making the birth of the stars and bars, as the flag soon came to be called, symbol of the new empire, 1 Mr. Mi/es, in a letter addressed to General Beauregard, dated August 27, 1861, says : " although I was chairman of the flag committee who reported the present flag, it was not my individual choice." After describing, by means of a rough drawing, a flag like the battle flag afterwards adopted as his preference, continues : " But I am boring you with my pet hobby on the matter of the flag, I wish sincerely that congress would change the present one, but I fear it is just as hard now, as it was at Montgomery, to tear people away entirely from the desire to appropriate some reminiscence of the old flag." 396 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE simultaneous with the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln, as president of the United States, at Washington. 1 Coming as this report does from a committee whose chairman had said in debate, " he had always looked even from the cradle upon the stars and stripes as an emblem of tyranny and oppres- sion," it is conclusive that there still existed a strong yearning in the popular heart for our old flag and all the memories and battlefields on which it had been consecrated. It is therefore reasonable to hope that with time, its restoration will be as popular to the southern sentiment as its abandonment was distasteful. 2 The confederate general, Wm. C. Wictam, in a letter written after the war said : " I have often said to those with whom I was on terms of friendship that I never saw the United States flag, even when approaching me in battle, that I did not feel arising those emotions of regard for it, that it had been won't to inspire. I have in- like manner said that one of the most painful sights I had ever seen, was on the night of the first battle of Manassas [Bull's run], when I saw an officer trailing the flag in the dust before a regiment of the line." Many incidents show that the old flag was not surrendered in the peoples' heart without a struggle. 3 Even Admiral Semmes, 1 We protest says the Montgomery Mail against the word stripes as applied to the broad tars of the flag of our confederacy. The word is quite appropriate as applied to the Yankee ensigns or a barber's pole j but it does not correctly describe the red and white divisions of the flag of the Confederate States. The word is bars, we have re- moved from under the stripes. New Tork World, April 2, 1861. a A vessel from a Florida port arrived at Havana with the confederate flag flying. The boat of the captain general immediately went alongside and required it should be at once lowered, as it represented no known nation. The master who had an American ensign at hand hoisted it in its place. He then went to the United States consul, Mr. Savage, and presented a register from the Confederate States, which the consul would not recognize, but on the master's representing that, he had taken command at the last moment, and that the register was taken out in the name of his predecessor in command and on the master taking oath that the vessel was wholly owned by citizens of the United States, the consul granted him a sea letter to enable him to return to the United States, but retained the confederate register and forwarded it to Washington. The case was anomalous j the owners might be really loyal citizens, but forced in the absence of regular United States officers, to take out Confederate State papers, and the consul did not feel willing to entirely refuse having any thing to do with her, af- ter she had hoisted the United States flag, and thus condemn her to lie in Havana an indefinite time. New Tork Express April 27, 1861. August 31, 1861. The captain general, of Cuba, ordered the several ports of that island to admit vessels, with the flag of the confederation of the south, in the ports for the purpose of legitimate trade and to be protected in the said ports. Rebellion Record. 3 The Savannah Republican called upon the confederate congress to re-erect the stars and stripes as their national flag and resume upon the southern Lyre those glorious old tunes Hail Columbia, and the Star Spangled Banner. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 397 the captain of the Alabama, has confessed his regret that the stars and stripes had to be abandoned. A little child, who in other days had learned to revere the stars and stripes, upon being told that he must in future say stars and bars wanted to know whether the bars were to bar the Yankees out. 1 The editor of Savannah Morning News, 2 in a letter dated Dec. 25, 1871, says : " I was present in Montgomery at the organi- zation of the provisional government of the Confederate States, and during the session of the first provisional congress. My friend and townsman, Gen. F. S. Barlow, was chairman of the committee on the flag and seal, and being much in his room I had an opportunity of seeing the numerous designs for a flag which were sent from all parts of the south, and often discussed with him, and other members of the committee, their respective merits." There was a very general desire to depart as little as possible from the old flag, and yet the necessity for distinction was felt by all. The difficulty was to preserve the liberty colors and yet to have a flag that did not too much resemble that of some other nation. Many very elaborate and quaint designs modeled in silk and painted on paper or canvass, most of which could not have been made of bunting, were submitted and rejected. The session was on the eve of closing, when as a last resort, the stars and bars, with which you are no doubt fa- miliar, were adopted. This flag was used and by its resem- blance to the stars and stripes caused some confusion at the first battle of Manassas in which General Barlow fell. In 1867, Semmes, in the name of the ladies of a Baptist fair, at Memphis, presented to the captain of the steamer Continental, a set of colors consisting of four flags : the stars and stripes for the stern, the boat flag for the jackstafF, and two blue flags for the wheel houses. He accompanied the presentation with the following address : tc Captain : At the late fair which was held at the Baptist tabernacle in this city, a set of colors was voted to the most popular steamboat plying upon our southern waters, the choice has fallen upon the gallant little Continental, of which you are captain ; and the ladies of the tabernacle have done me the honor to request that I should present them to you. I assure you, Captain, that this is a real pleasure, both because 1 Mobile Evening News. a Wm. T. Thompson to G. H. P. 398 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE it gives me the opportunity of serving the ladies, of whom I am always the humble knight and servitor ; and of meeting some of my professional friends on a social occasion. 1 do not know whether the thought has struck others as oddly as it has struck myself, that I should be standing here, amid this gay throng, about to present the stars and stripes to one of the enrolled vessels of the United States, to restore, as it were, the star spangled banner to the mast head of the merchant ship, from which, in times gone by, I have so often caused it to descend. But such are some of the revolutions of history. To the unthinking multitude I have indeed been a great sinner and a great rebel ; but to the more thoughtful I have been only a patriot. Paradoxical as the statement may appear to some of my hearers, I have never warred against the institutions of my country. I have always cherished an affection for the principles of the old constitution and the old flag ; and it was only when the old flag became a new flag, and ceased to represent those principles that I consented to war against it. One of the first acts performed by the provisional congress that met at Montgomery was to adopt the old consti- tution as the constitution of the Confederate States, and but for the confusion which would have arisen from the use of the same by the contending armies, that congress would, no doubt, have claimed and adopted the old flag also. The two, the constitution and the flag, had always keen united in the mind and heart of every American, and it was difficult to separate them. As, then, our war was one for the old constitution, it follows, logically, that we were arrayed against the old flag because it had ceased to represent that constitution. The stars and stripes, that I hold in my hand, were no longer, in our judgment, the stars and stripes of the revolution of 1776, or of the war of 1812 ; and when we fired upon them, we fired upon what we conceived to be a new and strange emblem, that had been unknown to our fathers. But the strife is now ended. " We were beaten in the war, and the flag of the conqueror became our flag. Take, then these colors, Captain ; they are the colors of our common country, whatever may be their present signification. We can all feel an honest pride in their more ancient history, as I trust we shall be enabled to do in their future history. With regard to what I may call their FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 399 especial history that is, the history which covers four years of our internecine war it is our duty, both as Christians and brethren to forget it. Let us, of the south, do our part by closing them with a tender and gentle hand, so that no scars may remain to remind us of the conflict. And let us endeavor also to convert this new flag into the old flag again, that we may love it as of yore. Then truly may we exclaim with the author of our na- tional anthem. ' The star spangled banner, oh, long may it wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave." A Charleston correspondent wrote to the Richmond Examiner : " Let us never surrender to the north the noble song, The Star Spangled Banner. It is southern in its origin; in sentiments, poetry and song ; in its associations with chivalrous deeds, it is ours; and the time, I trust, is not remote when the broad stripes and brilliant stars of the Confederate flag of the south will wave triumphantly over our Capitol, Fortress Monroe, and every fort within our borders. x This was within a month after the stars and bars had been adopted. Soon after the adoption of the stars and bars, the burial of the stars and stripes was publicly celebrated at Memphis, Ten- nessee. A pit was dug by the side of the statue of General Jack- son in the public square of that city. Then a procession of some five hundred citizens, escorting eight men carrying a cof- fin in which was an American flag, slowly approached the spot headed by a band of music playing the Dead March. The coffin was placed in the grave, the words "ashes to ashes, dust to dust," were sacrilegiously pronounced, and the grave filled up. The same month, on the arrival of A. H. Stephens at Savannah, Georgia, he was escorted by a large procession through that city which carried a painted representation of the American flag, torn and suspended from a broken staff. Underneath was a grave with the words receive me. This outrage upon the flag aroused deep disgust and indignation among the still loyal portions of the citi- zens, and the venerable pastor of the Seamen's bethel, openly denounced the proceedings, declaring that Savannah had been the first to dishonor the glorious banner of the union. On being 1 Richmond Examiner, April 4, 1861 . 400 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE threatened with violence he told the mob that, though he was an old man, he would defend himself and some of them would bite the dust if they laid hands on him. The flag adopted by the Confederate congress on the 5th day of March, 1861, by no means met with general approval, and numerous devices, considered by their authors more appropriate, continued to be presented. The stars and bars did not satisfy those who wished to retain the old flag, and was too nearly allied to the old flag in devices to suit those who wished to tear away from it altogether. And in use on the battle field its resemblance to the stars and stripes, led to confusion and mistakes. At the first battle of Bull's run, July 21, 1861, called by the confederates the battle of Manassas, the opposing regimental colors were so alike that each party accused the other of dis- playing its colors. On that account an attempt was made, by General Joseph E. Johnston, to substitute state colors for those of the confederacy but not being able to obtain them, except for Virginia regiments, designs were called for. Most of those designs were by Louisianians, and were presented by General Beauregard ; that design selected had a red ground, with a blue diagonal cross emblazoned with white stars, one for each state, and when first submitted was oblong in shape. General Johnston changed this from oblong to square ; regimental colors being four, and standards two and a half feet. They were furnished to the army of Virginia by the quartermaster's department and adopted by all the troops that served east of the Mississippi. 1 Though the southern cross was thus introduced by General Beauregard a a battle flag, the stars and bars continued to be flown as the ensign of the confederacy on flagstaff's and by the shipping. In the field it was almost entirely superceded by Gen. Beauregard's battle flag. 2 The full history of the origin of this flag is given in the following letter from General Beauregard. The original de- sign prepared by Mr. E. C. Hancock of New Orleans, April 1 86 1, and presented by Col. J. B. Walton for examination and adoption Sept. 1861, is now in the possession of the South- ern Historical Society of New Orleans. 1 Letter of Col. Ed. C. Anderson of Savannah. G. H. P. 2 Letter Wm. T. Thompson to G.H.P. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 401 No other flag than this was used by the confederates in the field after it was adopted and furnished to the troops in Virginia, Oct. 1861.* " Office New Orleans and Carrollton Rail Road Company, "New Orleans, Jan. 24th, 1872. " DEAR SIR. In answer to the inquiries contained in your letter of the 3d inst., relative to the origin of the confederate battle flag and the devices of the Louisiana state flag, flying on the City Hall of New Orleans, when Commodore Farragut appeared before this city in April, 1862, I give you with pleasure the following information. At the battle of Manassas, on the 2ist of July, 1861, I found it difficult to distinguish our then confederate flag from the United States flag (the two being so much alike), especially when Gen. Jubal A. Early made the flank movement which decided the fate of the day ; and I then resolved to have ours changed if practicable, or to adopt for my command a battle flag which would be entirely different from any state or federal flag ! After the battle it was found that many persons in both armies firmly believed that each side had used, as a stratagem, the flags of his opponent. General Joseph E. Johnston, commanding the Con- federate States' forces, determined to have the troops furnished with their state flags, and I entered into correspondence with Colonel William Porcher Miles, the chairman of the house mili- tary committee, to have our national flag changed. But that was found to be impracticable at the time, and none of the states, except Virginia, having furnished flags to their troops, General Johnston, on consultation at Fairfax Court House, Virginia, with General G. W. Smith, commanding the army of the Shenandoah (ad corps), and myself, commanding the army of the Potomac (ist corps), decided to adopt a battle flag for our forces. Many designs were presented, and we gave the preference to one of those offered by Colonel J. B. Walton, commanding the Louisiana Washington artillery, which corresponded closely to the one recommended to congress by Colonel Miles, as our first national flag. Both were oblong, the field was red, the bars blue, 1 General Johnson. 51 402 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE and the stars white ; but Colonel Walton's had the Latin cross, and Colonel Miles's the St. Andrew** which removed the objec- tion that many of our soldiers might have to fight under the former symbol. General Johnston preferred a square flag to render it more convenient to carry, and we finally adopted, in September, 1861, the well known battle flag of the army of the Potomac (as it was first called), to which our soldiers became so devoted. Its field was red or crimson, its bars were blue, and running diagonally across from one corner to the other, formed the Greek cross, the stars on the bars were white or gold, their num- ber being equal to the number of states in the confederacy, the blue bars were separated from the red field by a small white fillet. The size of the flag, for infantry, was fixed at 4 X 4 feet, for artillery at 3X3 feet, and for cavalry at 2j X 2j feet. It had the merit of being small and light, and of being very distinct at great distances. But it was not accepted by the Confederate government until it had been consecrated by many a hard fought battle, when it became the union of our second and third confederate national flags. 1 " When I assumed command of the troops in western Ten- nessee, February 1862, I found that Gen. Polk had adopted for his forces a flag nearly similar to the one I had designed for the army of the Potomac, i. e., a blue field with a white St Andrew's cross, and blue or gold stars. Gen. Hardee had for his divi- sion, a blue field with a full white circle in its center. I gave orders to have them replaced as soon as practicable by the battle flag of the army of the Potomac. In September, 1862, when I returned to Charleston, I substituted the same banner for the State flags, then principally used in the department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. It became thus in our armies the emblem of southern valor and patriotism, and should we ever be compelled to have a foreign war, I trust that this standard will be adopted as our national battle flag, to which southern soldiers will always gladly rally in a just cause. 2 "The state flag referred to by you, was adopted by the seces- 1 This paragraph from " its field," etc., was added by Gen. Beauregard in a letter to me dated Jan. 29, 1872. G. H. P. 3 Should, unfortunately, our country engage in another war, foreign or domestic, it is to be hoped that dear old flag, the star spangled banner of the whole union, will be soul inspiring to the soldiers of the common country, whether northern, southern, eastern or western, and that all sectional emblems will be buried beneath its folds. G. H. P. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 403 sion convention, and contained thirteen stripes, four blue, six white, and three red, commencing at top with the colors as written. The union was red, with its sides equal to the width of seven stripes ; in its center was a single pale yellow star with five points. " I remain your's truly, " G. T. BEAUREGARD." On the 3d of February, 1872, Gen. Beauregard transmitted to the Southern Historical Society of New Orleans, for preser- vation in its archives, a copy of the foregoing letter to me to- gether with the following correspondence accompanying the ori- ginal flag design prepared, at the request of Col. J. B. Walton, by Mr. Edward C. Hancock. "RICHMOND, August 27, 1861. "Gen. G. T. Beauregard, Fairfax Court House, Va. : "Dear General I received your letter concerning the flag yesterday, and cordially concur in all that you say. Although I was chairman of the flag committee, who reported the present flag, it was not my individual choice. I urged upon the com- mittee a flag of this sort. [Design sketched^ "This is very rough the proportions are bad. [Design of Confederate battle-flag as it is.'] " The above is better. The ground red, the cross blue, (edged with white), stars white. "This was my favorite. The three colors of red, white and blue were preserved in it. It avoided the religious objection about the cross (from the Jews and many protestant sects), because it did not stand out so conspicuously as if the cross had been placed upright, thus ; [Design sketched^ " Besides, in the form I proposed, the cross was more Heraldric than Ecclesiastical, it being the saltier e of heraldry, and signifi- cant of strength and progress (from the Latin salto^ to leap.) The stars ought always to be white, or argent, because they are then blazoned, proper, (or natural color.) Stars, too, show better on an azure field than any other. Blue stars on a white field would not be handsome or appropriate. The white edge (as I term it), to the blue is partly a necessity to prevent what is 404 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE called false blazoning, or a solecism in heraldry, viz., blazon- ing color on color , or metal on metal. It would not do to put a blue cross therefore on a red field. Hence the white^ being metal argent , is put on the m/, and the blue put on the white. The introduction of the white between the blue and red, adds also much to the brilliancy of the colors, and brings them out in strong relief. " But I am boring you with my pet hobby in the matter of the flag. I wish sincerely, that congress would change the present one. Your reasons are conclusive in my mind. But I fear it is just as hard now as it was at Montgomery to tear the people away entirely from the desire to appropriate some reminiscence of the old flag. We are now so close to the end of the session that even if we could command votes (upon a fair hear- ing), I greatly fear we cannot get such hearing. Some think the provisional congress ought to leave the matter to the per- manent. This might then be but a provisional flag. Yet, as you truly say, after a few more victories, association will come to the aid of the present flag, and then it will be more difficult than ever to effect a change. I fear nothing can be done, but I will try. I will, so soon as I can, urge the matter of the badges. The president is too sick to be seen at present by any one. " Very respectfully yours, "WM. PORCHER MILES." " NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 30, 1872. " Dear Sir The flag design referred to by you in your com- munication to Capt. Preble, United States navy, as having been submitted for adoption at the consultation, held at Fairfax Court House, Va., subsequent to the battle of Manassas, was, at my request, designed and executed by Mr. Edward C. Han- cock (now associate editor of the New Orleans Times) sometime during the month of April, 1861. On leaving New Orleans with my command for Richmond, in May, 1861. I carried with me the design to that city, where it was freely exhibited and generally approved. Among others, it was shown to Col. Porcher Miles, member of the flag committee. " In regard to its adoption by the conference of officers, and subsequent modification to correspond with Col. Miles's draft, I FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 405 beg leave to confirm the statement made by yourself to Capt. Geo. H. Preble, United States navy. u The original design remained in my possession until about a year ago, when, recognizing its probable historic value, I re- turned it to Mr. Hancock, who now transmits it to your care. " In conclusion, I have only to state that there can be no doubt in regard to the design forwarded having been the original of the confederate battle flag, and as such is entitled to careful preservation. " 1 am, General, very respectfully, yours, " J. B. WALTON. " To General G. T. Beauregard, New Orleans." New Orleans, Feb. ist, 1872. " Gen. G. T. Beauregard : " Dear Sir In response to your expressed wishes, I here- with transmit for donation to the historical society the original flag design prepared by me in the month of April, 1861, at the request of Col. J. B. Walton. " Col. W., returned the document to me about one year ago, advising its careful preservation as an historical memento. Be- lieving that this end can be best achieved in the manner pro- posed, I cheerfully entrust it to your care. " With the highest considerations of esteem, I remain, general, respectfully yours, " EDW. C. HANCOCK." This correspondence was published in the New Orleans Times and was the occasion of the following letters from Gen. Beau- regard and Col. Miles which contain additional interesting infor- mation on the subject. " Office New Orleans and Carrollton Rail Road Co. New Orleans, June 24, 1872. " MY DEAR SIR: Enclosed please find the printed copy of a letter from Colonel William Porcher Miles, formerly of South Carolina, but now of Va., in which he gives additional information relative to origin of the con- federate battle flag. Hoping it may not reach you too late to be published in 406 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE your book, with the other communications on the same subject I had the pleasure of sending you in February last. " I remain yours, very truly, G. T. BEAUREGARD. " Captain George H. Preble, U. S. N. "Charleston, Massachusetts." "Oak Ridge, Nelson Co., Va., May 14, 1872. "General G. T. Beauregard, New Orleans, La.: " My Dear General. A friend has shown me an article, copied from the New Orleans Times containing letters from yourself and Colonel Wal- ton, touching the origin of the confederate battle flag. It is certainly not worth while for us vanquished Confederates to contend among ourselves for the honor (if there be any honor in it), of having designed it, and cheerfully would I yield my own pretensions to any merit whatever in the matter to the gallant Colonel, who with his noble battalion so bravely up- held it until the overwhelming hosts of our invaders compelled us to furl it in sorrow but not in shame. " But as I have many times said to many persons that the battle flag was my design, and that I had been instrumental in its adoption, and never until now supposed that the fact had ever been called in question, I feel some sensitiveness since Colonel Walton's letter and yours have been pub- lished lest my reputation for veracity may suffer somewhat. And although I hope that those who know me well will not believe that from any petty mo- tive of vanity I would falsify facts, still there may be others who will think that, like the jackdaw in ^Esop, I have had a borrowed feather plucked from me by the publication aforesaid. Let me beg, therefore, that you will do me the favor of giving the same publicity to my statement that Colonel Walton's has received. "At the provisional congress which met in Montgomery, I was chair- man of the committee on devising a flag. We had hundreds of designs submitted to us from all parts of the country. Not one of them in the least resembled the battle flag. The committee could not agree upon a flag. They finally determined to submit four designs to congress, from which they should by vote select one. One of the four was the flag that was adopted, the first flag of the Confederacy ; a field of three horizontal bars or stripes red, white and red, with blue union and stars. Another of the four was a red field with a blue ring or circle in the centre. Another was composed of a number of horizontal stripes (I forget how many), of red and blue (none white), with blue union and stars like the first. The fourth was a saltiere, as it is called in heraldry, the same as a St. Andrew's cross of blue, with white margin, or border, on a red field with white stars FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 407 equal to the number of states on the cross. This was my design, and urged upon the congress earnestly by me. Now the only difference between this and the confederate battle flag is that the latter was made square for greater lightness and portability, while the one submitted to congress was, of course, of the usual proportions of a flag, i. e. oblong. Models of considerable size, of the four flags submitted, were made of colored cambric, and hung up in the hall where congress sat ; and they were afterwards long in my possession, as was also the first Confederate flag (made of merino, there being no bunting at hand), that within an hour or two of its adoption (thanks to fair and nimble fingers !) floated over the state Capitol of Ala- bama where congress held its sessions. Unfortunately, they were all lost or destroyed during the war. If they could be produced, they would set- tle the question as to the origin of the confederate battle-flag. But there must be many members of the provisional congress who remember and can testify to the correctness of the above statements. Now, all this happened before you captured Fort Sumter, before April t 1861, some time during which month, Colonel Walton says, Mr. Hancock, at his request designed his flag. " Excuse me, dear Genera], this long epistle, which possibly may suggest monies parturient, etc. But if Colonel Walton is right in supposing that his design is worthy of careful preservation as a historical memento, and as in your letter to Dr. Palmer, president of the Southern Historical Society, you say that information concerning the flag in question " might be of historical interest hereafter," and enclose him a copy of your letter to Captain Preble for preservation in the archives of the society, I hope my vindication of the truth of history, even in a matter so unimport- ant in itself, may be considered worthy of publication in the Times, and of being filed away also with your and Colonel Walton's letter, in the arch- ives of the same society. " With sentiments of the highest regard, lam, my dear General, very faithfully yours, '* WILLIAM PORCHER MILES." The subject of a national flag still continued to be discussed from time to time in the confederate congress and by the south- ern newspaper press though no decisive action was taken until the spring of 1863. On the yth of December, 1861, the Richmond Dispatch held the following language respecting the first confederate flag of the stars and bars : " The adoption of our present flag was a natural, but most per- nicious blunder. As the old flag itself was not the author of our 408 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE wrongs, we tore off a piece of the dear old rag and set it up as a standard. We took it for granted a flag was a divisible thing and proceeded to set off our proportion. So we took, at a rough calculation, our share of the stars and our fraction of the stripes, and put them together and called them the Confederate flag. Even as Aaron of old put the gold into the fire and then came out this calf, so certain stars and stripes went into com- mittee, and then came out this flag. All this was honest and fair to a fault. We were clearly entitled to from seven to eleven of the stars, and three or four of the stripes. " Indeed, as we were maintaining the principles it was intended to represent^ and the north had abandoned them, we were honestly en- titled to the whole flag. Had we kept it, and fought for it and under it, and conquered it from the north, it would have been no robbery, but all right and fair. And we should either have done this, /. e., kept the flag as a whole, or else we should have abandoned it as a whole and adopted another. But if we did not choose to assert our title to the whole, was it politic or ju- dicious to split the flag and claim one of the fractions ? We had an equal right also to Hail Columbia and Yankee Doodle. We might have adopted a part of Yankee Doodle (say every third stanza), or else Yankee Doodle with variations, as our na- tional air. In the choice of an air we were not guilty of this absurdity, but we have perpetrated one exactly parallel to it in the choice of a national flag. There is no exaggeration in the illustration. It seems supremely ridiculous, yet it scarcely does our folly justice. " There is but one feature essential to a flag, and that is dis- tinctness. Beauty, appropriateness, good taste, are all desirable, but the only thing indispensable, is distinctness, wide, plain, un- mistakable distinction from other flags. Unfortunately this in- dispensable thing is just the thing which the confederate flag lacks. And failing in this, it is a lamentable and total failure, absolute and irredeemable." IC The failure is in a matter of essence. It is as complete as that of writing which cannot be read, of a gun which cannot be shot, of a coat which cannot be worn. It is the play of Hamlet with the part of Hamlet left out. A flag which does not dis- tinguish may be a very nice piece of bunting, it may be hand- FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 409 somely executed, tasteful, expressive, and a thousand other things, but it has no title at all to bear the name of flag. We knew the flag we had to fight, yet instead of getting as far from it, we were guilty of the huge mistake of getting as near to it as possible. We sought similarity, adopting a principle dia- metrically wrong, we made a flag as nearly like theirs as could only under favorable circumstances, be distinguished from it. Under unfavorable circumstances (such as constantly occur in practice), the two flags are indistinguishable. In the wars of the Roses in Great Britain one side adopted the white and the other the red rose. Suppose that one side had adopted milk white and the other flesh white, or one a deep pink and the other a lighter shade of pink, would there have been any end to the confusion ? " When a body of men is approaching in time of war it is rather an important matter to ascertain, if practicable, whether they are friends or foes. Certainly no question could well be more radi- cal in its influence upon our actions, plans, and movements. To solve this important question is the object of a flag. When they get near us there may be other means of information : but to dis- tinguish friends from enemies at a distance is the specific purpose of a flag. Human ingenuity is great, and may conceive some other small purposes, presentations, toasts, speeches, etc., but that this is the great end of a flag, will not be denied : and it is in this that the confederate flag fails. "There is no case in history in which broad distinction in the symbols of the combatants was more necessary than it has been in the present war. Our enemies are of the same race with ourselves, of the same color and even shade of complexion, they speak the same language, wear like clothing, and are of like form and stature. (The more shame that they should make war upon us.) " Our general appearance being the same we must rely solely upon symbols for distinction. The danger of mistake is great after all possible precautions have been taken, sufficient atten- tion has never been paid to this important matter, involving life or death, victory or defeat. Our badges, uniforms, flags, should be perfectly distinguishable from those of the enemy. Our first and distant information is dependent solely on the flag." 52 410 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE A month later, Jan. 2, 1862, a Richmond correspondent wrote the Charleston Mercury : " Quite a number of new fangled flags are exhibited in the windows of the Despatch office at Richmond. The latest, which is gotten up with great care and neatness, represents in tri-colors, three equal horizontal bars ; lower black, middle purple, upper white with stars in it. The black bar is designed to notify mankind that the confederacy sprung from black republicanism. Hah ! how would a buzzard sitting on a cotton bale with a chew of tobacco in his mouth a little nigger in one claw, and a pal- metto tree, answer ? Nothing could be more thoroughly and com- prehensively southern." 1 Jan. 17, 1862. During the night a Confederate flag, which had been flying from the yard of a Mr. Griffin, at Lynchburg, Va., was forcibly torn down by some unknown person, the flag stafF broken in two, and the cord by which the flag was hoisted cut up into small fragments. The flag itself was torn into tat- ters, and from its appearance, when found, would seem to in- dicate that the guilty party desired particularly to strip the stars from it,' as not a vestige of any of them was left. 2 February nth, 1862, the Richmond Examiner published the following communication, from a correspondent, arguing that the proper national emblem for the south, should be a single star. 3 The editor disapproved of the idea as not original, and suggested a sable horse as a more appropriate symbol. "d national emblem should symbolize the national government in its history, nature, office and fundamental principles. " The lion of England ascribes the royal character, and undis- puted supremacy of the king of beasts to that noble government. 1 Moore's Rebellion Record, vol. iv. 2 Lynchburg Republican, Jan. 18, 1862. 3 A Southern poet writes : " Now that northern treachery attempts our rights to mar We hoist on high the bonnie blue flag that bears a single star. " First, gallant South Carolina nobly made the stand ; Then came Alabama, who took her by the hand ; Next, quickly, Mississippi, Georgia and Florida; All raised the flag, the bonnie blue flag that bears a single star." The poet then urges Texas and fair Louisiana to join them in the fight and trusts Virginia, the old dominion, will be impelled by example to link her fate with the young confederacy, and adds : 44 Cheer, boys, cheer, raise the joyous shout For Arkansas and North Carolina now have both gone out ; And let another rousing cheer for Tennessee be given The single star of the bonnie blue flag has proved to be eleven.'" The Bonnie Blue Flag, FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 411 " Various nations, as Austria, Russia, etc., have assumed the free eagle, as typical of the characteristics of their governments. " It is believed to be susceptible of proof, that the single star is our proper national emblem. " Inasmuch as there are various orders and classes of stars, it is proper that a question be first raised in that connection. In this view we should not think of our star as one of the so-called fixed stars, which are, to human sight m their order, almost too small to be assigned, mere twinkling points, without apparent career, having, as far as men have yet discovered, no influence in crea- tion, unless we accept the conjecture of astronomers, that they are suns, the centres of other systems than ours ; in which case, though these reasons disappear, a yet stronger one arises in the fact that, as suns, they would shine by inherent rather than borrowed light, which idea will be found inapplicable. But rather should we think of it as a planet, a world in itself, shining steadily, having an evident career, bright and marked, unchangeable, com- plete, of almighty design, an essential chord in the universal harmony, of which a single false note, the slightest irregularity, would destroy that harmony and upturn the universe. " Now for the points of the analogy : " i. Our government hath foundations well laid and sure. The star is created, placed in its relative position, and held there, coursing on through space by an almighty hand, we ask no more. Though all the firmament were studded thick as the silver dust that sprinkled the gorgeous milky-way, and every star were as thickly inhabited, the universe combined could not affect one tittle in its integrity, nor move one jot from its course, the single star so created, so placed, and so held. The almighty hand we do not defy; human hands we do. The star, then, well sym- bolizes the fact that our government is durably founded. ct 2. The confederate government, as the prominent idea of its constitution, possesses no powers of its own, but simply reflects such as it receives, and so symbolizes the nature of our govern- ment. " 3. Inasmuch as the star borrows its light from a source pos- sessing inherent light the sun ; as the emblem of the confe- derate government, would indicate that the source from which that government derives its powers, possesses itself, inherent powers ; 412 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE in other words, that the states are Independent sovereigns ; and as this fact is a fundamental principle of our government, the star is eminently appropriate as indicative thereof. " 4. This state sovereignty is no new principle, but equally ori- ginal and eternal ; and as the very right of secession was based upon the fact that this principle was original to the old contract, this fact should be indicated by retaining, as our emblem, that which originally symbolized this relation, to wit : the single star. " 5. As we are not an unrecorded people new sprung from the womb of time, but have a history peculiarly our own ; glori- ously illustrated by the deeds which our great southern sires have done, it is fit that, as southerners, we retain some suitable connection with the past, and the single star, as the symbol of that grand principle (lost by the abomination of despotism, and our peculiar property), which was the source of all that is to be remembered in the system of that past, furnishes that suitable connection. " 6. We stand preeminent, bordered, on either side, by nations steeped in political darkness. The stars in their courses, lifted on high, shine amid surrounding darkness, and so illustrate our position and functions. Accordingly, as the star was selected to guide the wise men to the source of human blessedness, so the star of our confederacy shall be a beacon to the nations, to guide them to that utmost of political blessings, pure republican liberty. " So much for the single star of itself ; now to view it compara- tively. " The sun and moon are both set by the Almighty, but, u I. The star isa better emblem than the sun, because the sun shines by a light inherent in itself, not borrowed and reflected, like the light of the star, or the powers of our government. More- over, the sun puts out of view all other lights within the com- pass of its power ; no states right man will agree that such an idea shall be expressed, even remotely by the emblem of the confederate government. " 2. The star is better than the queen of night, because she, to human sight, is ever changing, waxing or waning, and one no less than the other ; the only course of change for us must be onward. " 3. The single star is better than a number of stars, pro- portioned to the number of states, for if such a number of stars be the emblem of the nation, any change in the number of FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 413 the states would necessitate a change in the emblem, and this involves the idea that the character, or rather the completeness of the nation- ality depends upon the number of states composing it, the very idea which proved so pernicious under the late union, and which, entirely opposed as it is to our whole system, we should most carefully avoid. This number of stars, each for a state, is further objec- tionable, because the states possess inherent powers, are suns, while a star simply reflects. " To the southern cross, besides what has just been said, an objection is found in the fact that, however far sighted our states- men, none of them can make that constellation from even the southernmost point of the confederacy. " // is not ours ; we are not quite far enough from the north, however painful the fact ; and for us, a people righting for our own rights, to assume it, would be exceedingly unbecoming, as a clear violation of the rights of the dwellers in Terra del Fuego, a people weaker than ourselves. " The objection to the cross itself, as the prominent feature of our flag, may be found on inspecting a chart of the flags of other nations, where it will be found, in every variety of shape and color, endlessly repeated. It is right, and certainly desired by every thoughtful man in the nation, that some thankful acknowledgement of the Deity be a feature of our banner : but the prominent feature of the na- tional banner should be the national emblem, and that emblem for us, a single star." To the suggestions of his correspondent the editor of the Rich- mond Examiner, remarks : " before we get our national emblem we must get rid of stars and stripes in all their variations. So, too, of all arrangements of red, white and blue. Nothing can be gotten from either but plagiarisms, poor imitations, feeble fancies. Our coat-of-arms must be not only in accord with the higher law of heraldry, but, above all, original, our own, and not another's. " Not one of the thousand writers on this topic has yet presented an original or appropriate idea. Yet there is a thought which starts to the mind's eye. " The national emblem of the equestrian south is the horse. Its colors are black and white. Its shield is the sable horse of 414 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE Manassas, on a silver field ; its flag is the white flag with the black horse. Both colors are already united to make the grey of the confederate uniform ; and emblem and colors are alike suggestive of the country and its history, and neither belong to any other nation of Christians." March 6, 1862. The Charleston (South Carolina), Mercury proposed a flag, divided diagonally (see plate ix), half white and half black, and argued : " It is unlike the ensign of any other nation and especially unlike that of the Yankee nation. Those that imagine a flag should be symbolical will find in the colors of this one, white and black, an obvious significance. Such a stand- ard would typify our faith in the peculiar institution, and be an enduring mark of our resolve to retain that institution while we exist as a free and independent people. For maritime uses this proposed flag, although it discards the everlasting Yankee stars, and the worn out combinations of red, white and blue, would be distinguishable at as great a distance as any other that can be devised." Another device proposed about this time was a Phoenix rising from a bed of flame with the motto, " We rise again," typical of the death of the old and the resurrection of the new union. Another proposed flag, had a red field charged with a white St. Andrew's cross, supporting in its centre a blue shield blazoned with a single yellow star (see plate ix). Still another, was formed of three horizontal bars, red, white, red, having a double blue square, or an eight pointed star, in the centre, extending half way across the red bars, blazoned with eight white stars arranged in a circle (see plate ix). Another suggested flag, was half blue and white, diagonally divided next the lufF, and the outer half, or fly, a red perpendicular bar. It is not known who were the designers of these flags. In 1863, Mrs. Breckenridge, wife of General John C. Breck- enridge, who just before the war was the vice president of the United States, but then a major general in the confederate army, constructed a magnificent stand of colors from her wedding dress, which her husband in her name, presented to the most gallant and brave regiment of his division, the 2Oth Tennessee regiment, known as the Battle regiment. 1 1 Jackson Crisis, Feb. 25, 1863. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES. 415 In April, 1863, while the subject of a national flag was under discussion before the confederate congress at Richmond, Mr. Wm. T. Thompson, editor of the Savannah Morning News, sug- gested a white flag with the southern cross or battle flag for its union, as a national ensign for the confederacy, and to demonstrate the beauty of the design, got Capt. Wm. Ross Postell formerly of the Unted States and Texas navies, to make a colored drawing of his proposed flag. His editorial, published in the News, April 23, which follows, was republished with approval by the Richmond papers, about the time the vote was taken in the house on the flag, but after the senate had adopted a white flag with a broad blue bar in its centre. On motion of Hon. Julian Hartridge, then chairman of the house committee on the flag, the senate bill was amended, and the battle flag, on a plain white field, adopted. There was another proposition before the house to substitute for the broad blue bar in the middle of the flag a broad blue border on the fly or end opposite the union. 1 Mr. Thompson says in his editorial : " The confederate congress has at length adopted a great seal, which we think is both appropriate and in good taste. The seal is thus described : c An equestrian portrait of Washington (after the statue which surmounts his monument in the Capitol square at Richmond), surrounded with a wreath composed of the prin- cipal agricultural products of the south (cotton, tobacco, sugar cane, corn, wheat and rice), having around its margin, the words, " SEAL OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, 23d Feb- ruary, 1862," together with the motto, Deo duce Vincennes [with God for our leader we will conquer.] 2 " This device and motto will be approved by the good taste and moral sentiment of our people, 1 and it now only remains for con- better Wm. T. Thompson to G. H. P. 2 The senate's design was an armed youth in classic costume, standing ; beneath, a woman is clinging. The whole surrounded by a margin of rice, cotton, tobacco and sugar cane. Motto : Pro A